


Firework

by Wildphoenix_ofthe80s



Series: What if this Storm Ends? [9]
Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: F/M, Feelings, Healing, Heavy Drinking, Ineffable Fluff, Labour, M/M, Male presenting pregnancy, Pregnancy, Rainbow Baby, Small breakdown (child), Unplanned Pregnancy, post trauma, small amount of Angst, small breakdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24964657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildphoenix_ofthe80s/pseuds/Wildphoenix_ofthe80s
Summary: We've had the trauma, now we're back on the good stuff! Ineffable muse #5 makes their will known!
Relationships: Anathema Device/Newton Pulsifer, Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: What if this Storm Ends? [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531430
Comments: 60
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cheers again to Maxkowarth for beta'ing.

Crowley sipped his drink and watched his husband across the room. Aziraphale was himself pleasantly drunk, and their son Alexas, a little taller than his father but with the same fluffy blonde curls, had his arm around him as they talked to the boy's tutor. Of course Alexas's tutor was into Shakespeare, and Wilde, and evidently Alexas had already let on that he and his sisters were all named for the old bard's characters. The angel was chattering happily enough. Crowley could hardly tell that mere months ago they had been on a celestial battlefield fighting for their lives.

Eventually Alexas' tutor had to move on, taking the boy with him to meet some people of interest who could open some doors for him or some such thing. Crowley was pleased for his son - the boy worked best in teams, not a solitary creative like his sisters, but given a story and some room to expand it, he could obviously make sparks fly.

"Dear, it's so exciting." Aziraphale beamed as he appeared beside him, having acquired another drink, "We made that boy. And he's out here walking the boards and having the best time."

"Mmm." Crowley smiled, "Still not sure about their casting."

"Playing to his talents." the angel replied, turning to straighten the demon's suit, "Your 'sassy mouth' works very well for him."

Crowley snorted, "It does. I'm pleased for him, Angel, really. Just don't like the inference. Judas suited him far too much."

"Are you still worried he'll turn out to be a demon in disguise, dear?" Aziraphale gazed into his eyes, or his glasses at least. Crowley let his face release it's frown a little, "No. Just. Anxieties firing off. You used to feel the same about him, remember?"

"I remember." Aziraphale reached to hold him, "I remember. But he's a good child, Crowley. Mischief, but good. Not a 'traitor'."

"Just two traitor's son." Crowley murmured, holding his husband in return.

Across the room, Alexas tilted his head. His father was far too serious these days. He wouldn't open up. Wouldn't explain.

The boy looked a little harder, keeping an ear on the conversation he had been dragged into incase he needed to reply. Sometimes he saw the world as a human, as solid objects and light. Sometimes though, the whole world took on a strange hue, and he saw little things. Hints. Desires. He was, after all, a 'plot bunny' in some respect. He saw those desires in people, and inspired them out.

He was currently fascinated by the golden lock he saw in his angelic fathers aura, the key that hung, caged, like a millstone around his demonic father's neck. It weighed heavy on both his father's hearts.

"Dear." Aziraphale murmured, "I think we should sober up."

"Mm?"

"Well, Alexas is giving us a worried look."

"Surely he's not embarrassed by his old men having a bloody cuddle." Crowley grumbled.

"Maybe we should, I mean." Aziraphale hiccupped, "I am feeling a little light headed."

"Nope." Crowley replied, "Don't need anybody seeing bottles refill here. Thats sus-suspi..." he paused, "Sus-pic-ious... This is our son's debut, Angel. We are going to enjoy ourselves, then we will go back to the hotel and sleep it off, and go to breakfast tomorrow hungover like the embarrassing parents we are."

Aziraphale giggled, and took another sip of his drink.

"I wish you wouldn't tease them dear, but it is fun to do sometimes."

"Our kids, Angel. Give as good as they get."

Alexas narrowed his eyes.

*

Aziraphale awoke in the early hours of the following morning in the midst of a panic attack. It wasn't the unfamiliar room - that much he remembered. Alexas's college play, probably one of the better versions of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' he had seen... and he remembered having one too many at the party afterward. He remembered cuddling Crowley. He remembered the demon slurring his words, knowing he wasn't much better off, and he definitely remembered suggesting to his husband that maybe they should make use of their spare bedrooms again...

He was hungover, and his body was pulsing, and he knew that energy spike by now.

"Crowley!!" He shot up, grabbing his husband's arm.

"Mmngk."

The angel shook his husband sharply, practically screaming, "Crowley! I... I think we might have done something incredibly silly!"

"You're telling me." The demon moaned, "Should have snapped the alcohol away before sleeping... too late now."

"N-No! Crowley, I mean..."

"Mm?" Crowley didn't move his head from the pillow. Aziraphale took his hand and jammed it unceremoniously against the front of his pelvis, "Crowley, we-we've... we've made this."

The demon raised his head from his pillow and focussed on where his hand was, eyes comically wide and pupils blown, "Shit."

"I-I-" Aziraphale didn't get much further.

"Shit!" Crowley managed again, "Shit, shit shit ssshit ssshit..." He sat up, reaching for the panicked Angel, "I-I'm so sorry, Angel. I should have known. Ssshouldn't have let us get so blind last night. Should have kept it in my pantsss."

Aziraphale softened, his panic subsiding a little at the sound of Crowley's own, "No - No Crowley, it was me who triggered it, it-it's my burden to bear."

"You got that right, but it does take 2 to tango." Crowley held his shoulders and looked him in the eye, "Are you alright Angel?"

Aziraphale nodded, but it was a clipped nod, from a neck that was tensed, "I... I think I might be."

"Are you sssure?"

"No." The Angel managed, "B-but I think I can be, given... time." He paused, stroking Crowley's knuckles, "I... I was thinking about it, after all."

"Even asked me."

"Yes." He lay back on the bed, brain still swirling, "Oh, what an introduction to life I'm giving it. Alcoholic bloodstream and a panic attack."

"Can't say I'd be any better." Crowley replied softly, moving a hand back to hold above the flicker of life. He exhaled slowly, "Angel... We'll manage. We're going to be okay. We can do this."

"Yes love." Aziraphale mumbled, "But first... maybe another hours sleep..?"

"Of course." The demon snuggled to his shoulder, his hand still firmly atop the Angel's pelvis. It was warm. So warm, and so full of life.

He buried his head in his husband's cheek before he could begin to cry, a myriad of emotions mixing with the remaining alcohol in his system and making staying awake extremely undesirable as an option.

*

Crowley's phone went off, rudely awakening the pair. The demon cursed a few times before he answered it, "What... Oh, hi. Suppose. Where? Okay. Yeah we are. Is that Lex? Tell him to stop being so damn cheeky. I'll wreck the liver I don't have if I choose to. Yeah. alright." He hung up.

"What did you agree to?" Aziraphale asked.

"Lunch. 2pm. Some pub near them. Hair of the..." Crowley stared at Aziraphale. Aziraphale stared back, "Oh. Oh Lord."

"Guess there's no hiding this from them."

"Lex probably already knows! You know how he always-" Aziraphale squeaked, then held his head, "Ow. Oh my."

"Lie down Angel." Crowley managed, "I'll get you some water."

When Aziraphale was propped up and sipping his drink, the demon kissed his cheek and went to take his shower. He was curiously quiet, and the angel sighed deeply. His husband usually loved to sing in the shower.

 _He must be really crushed by this._ The angel thought, _I've messed this up again. After everything we've struggled through._

When Crowley came back, Aziraphale was sat half up in bed, propped up on his pillows, hands folded on his middle, deep in thought, his glass forgotten on the bedside table.

"Angel..?"

"We're going to do this again..."

"We don't have much choice."

Aziraphale snorted, "If I've made it correctly this time."

"Hey. Don't start that again." Crowley warned, "I don't think I can take it, good reason or not you've worn us both down."

"I-!"

"Don't give me that, Angel. Both of us are exhausted from the last 12 years. Maybe this will heal us, or maybe it will stop us trying again. No matter what we're doing this together." He paused, breathing, and sat beside him, "Please try not to worry. I know, I know. And I don't have a threat, wouldn't ultimatum you after what we've been through but equally I wouldn't leave you either, certainly not to go through this alone. I - I love you Angel, I know we'll be fine, would you please come and shower so we can get you some lunch?"

His fingers were resting again over that little spark of life. The angel watched him, a calm spreading through him, "Crowley, are you - Are you alright with this?"

The demon paused. He saw Aziraphale's head drop, feeling ashamed suddenly, "I'm sorry. I don't deserve you."

"No, Angel no-" Crowley finally clambered back up to the angel's face, holding it gently in cupped hands, "I'm alright with this. I - ngk - had to fight the instinct to say it was up to you. That it's only ever been about what makes you happy. That I've always been satisfied just to be in your orbit. But that- that wouldn't be fair to them or us, or you."

Aziraphale sniffed back his tears as he looked back up at him.

"Honestly, Angel. Our children have always been a joy to behold. One more in this world could only be a good thing." One hand left the angel's cheek and trailed the length of his torso. Suddenly the demon's eyes went wide.

"Crowley?!" Aziraphale worried.

"Angel you-you're still wearing that body." Crowley realised in horror. Aziraphale glanced down, "Yes. Afraid drunk me didn't really think about that."

"Aziraphale, I didn't want to risk your life again!" Crowley near screamed. Aziraphale shook his head and wrapped his arms around him, holding him steady, "Crowley, dearest, I-I'll be okay-"

"You don't know that-"

"Beelzebub told me that Gabriel only changed his hips when in labour, when I asked what Gabriel was like as female bodied being. That's the only concession he made for Lucien. And Hastur... I was there Crowley, he was alone and oblivious, I told him to do it and Sam was fine. I will be fine, I'll do it when the time comes. It's okay."


	2. Chapter 2

Despite anxiety, residual alcohol and a lack of real direction in London these days, they made it to the pub in good time. The twins smiled and greeted their parents, guiding them to a miraculously quiet table in a corner, but Alexas tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, "You didn't! All the years I asked and you waited for me to leave home?"

"Your fault." Crowley replied, "Yeah. Kids. Let your dad sit down, we did something silly."

"Told you, you can't be trusted." Alice told Alexas, "What did you do?"

Ariel had focussed on Aziraphale as he sat down. She smiled as she met his eyes, "Daddy! I'm so happy for you!"

Alice was quiet suddenly, aware the others had worked out something she hadn't. Crowley waited until they were all seated before coughing, "Sssso, erm, ngk-" he started to stammer.

"I'm pregnant." Aziraphale announced, to end his misery.

"So I sense, you weren't last night though!" Alexas crowed, wagging a finger at the angel, "Are you always this turned on when we make you proud?"

"Hey, out of your dad's face." Crowley warned, "It was a ssshock. Wasn't exactly... intentional."

"We had thought we'd have a few more years peace and quiet after you left, Alexas dear." Aziraphale said, biting his lip to stifle a grin, "But indeed, as with your creation, apparently pride in our children, fulfilment and satisfaction of a job well done, is a great trigger."

"So you gave them a present to remember your naughtiness by." Ariel told her brother.

"Not intentionally!"

"No, but it's funny all the same." Alice laughed, "We should have drinks to toast the newest muse!"

"Please, dear." Aziraphale warned gently, "I would prefer something more open-ended after last time."

"Of course." The girl smiled, "How about-"

"A toast to rampant plot bunnies doing the things that rampant plot bunnies are best at?" Alexas suggested. Aziraphale chuckled, "I have no objections."

"We'll get this round and the menus." Alice said, grabbing her brother's arm.

"Li!"

"Lex, we talked about this." The girl pulled him up and after her. Crowley frowned, "What was all that about?"

Aziraphale had already turned to Ariel expectantly, "Dear..?"

"Erm. I had something I wanted to say too." The girl's eyes found a spot on the carpet which was particularly interesting, and she pushed her left hand against her cheek rhythmically. Aziraphale smiled, "Please dear. Whatever you have to say isn't as- as-"

"As shameful as your parents being the ones who should have been more careful." Crowley finished.

"Nothing shameful in a married couple having children, dear." Aziraphale huffed.

"Dad, Daddy." Ariel managed, "I-I think I might be having some... issues with gender."

Aziraphale glanced to Crowley. The demon opened his hands, previously clasped together under his chin, "Issues? Gender isn't as hard as humans make it out to be, Ri. Be as fluid with it as you like."

"But even with students, Dad, its not easy to know how to announce myself, how to deal with mockery." The girl managed, "And it's not as though I have a vast history of hating being a girl. I don't mind being a girl. Apart from all the human things that come with it - I had to get rid of that, I didn't like how it made me feel."

"I quite sympathise." Aziraphale soothed, "It never did look pleasant."

"It's a long process, being comfortable in your own skin." Crowley told her, "And sometimes you are always comfortable, but like to shift it about a little. Like me."

The girl twisted a finger of one hand between the fingers of the other. Aziraphale looked for her bag, "Dear, did you bring your tangle?"

"Hm?" Ariel blinked, then nodded, "Yeah." She rummaged for the stim toy, a long loop of plastic tubing that wound around fingers with pleasing ease.

"Have you experimented any?" Aziraphale asked her when she was a little more settled.

"I went to class with different... parts." She managed, "I had to go home and change my jeans, everything rubbed!"

The Angel smiled knowingly. Crowley snorted, "If you're not going to miracle your clothes different you need to practise that, sure."

"It was the first time, and I didn't realise quite how much I'd rubbed." Ariel said, "Alice took me to the LGBT+ club after she had to help me get changed."

"And?"

"They gave me some blog recommendations, but their trans ambassador was off sick that week. I wasn't brave enough to try again. It was loud - it's next to the student bar - and too bright in there."

Crowley reached to squeeze the girl's free hand, "I'm only at the end of the phone, Ri."

"Thank you Dad. I just wanted to-to tell you both in p-person."

Aziraphale put his hand down to let her rest her occupied hand in his, "Thank you dearest. It means a lot."

"I-I know we're not - not normal, like humans -" The girl added, dropping her head a little as the sun came out outside and shone across her face, and her tight red curls bouncing over her eyes, "But I - I don't want to be distant, you know? Not like you had to be. Even if - even if they die, and I don't - If I don't - How can I be a muse and be... detached?" She bit her lip, "I want to know how it feels for them, to be - this way - but I'm afraid I can't take any negativity about it."

"Oh my sweet girl, er..." Aziraphale came to a halt.

"It's okay, I don't mind being called a girl." Ariel assured him.

"You have an uphill battle. Going to be hard, won't tell you otherwise." Crowley soothed, "But we're all here for you. Even if Lex is a prat sometimes."

Ariel giggled, "He's a loving brother. He's all bluster. He wouldn't stand for me hurting either."

"He is." Aziraphale smiled, "Mischief, not unkindness."

"Here you go Daddy." Alice had returned with 2 drinks, "I got you some Elderflower, er, fizzy stuff."

"Thank you dear."

"Dad, orange to start with. You're not having another alcohol until you've eaten. Not if you're driving our expectant daddy home."

Aziraphale chuckled. Crowley poked the girl in the ribs, "You're lucky you're my blood, the hangover I've got." He snorted.

Alexas arrived with three glasses, "Cola, Cola, and I have lemonade because I'm bitter." He stuck his tongue out.

"What on earth do you have to be bitter about?" Crowley snarked.

"Shot myself in the foot, didn't I?" the boy replied, "If I'd have known I could get you two making babies just by doing something amazing I'd have done something really amazing like be the Angel in the school nativity."

"Gabriel's not a high bar to aim for." Crowley snorted, "Try again."

"Brought the menus too." Alice distracted Aziraphale, "The lamb's nice."

"And the halloumi." Ariel added.

"And the ice cream." Alexas laughed.

Crowley glanced to his husband, "My sassy mouth - but your appetite."

*

It had been lovely to see the children all together again, and they were warm and happy upon finally leaving the three later to do as they pleased.

Crowley shut the door to the Bentley behind him though, and found his thoughts in a state of disquiet. He glanced to Aziraphale. The angel had already got his seatbelt on and was settling in his seat to catch up on the sleep he'd had broken the night before.

The demon started the engine, and began the drive home. He didn't mind the quiet usually, but at length he had to put the radio on low, his thoughts starting to run away with him. He had visions in his head, his husband collapsed in the bathroom, feathers everywhere and heaven knew how long he'd been there. Putting him to bed and having to watch him slip further and further into unconsciousness, his grace ebbing as though he were bleeding out.

The aftermath. The pain. The crying which ended after a few weeks, perhaps only because the Angel had started to turn his hurt and feelings inward.

That behemoth that was finally born just to end a war.

Jennet.

He pulled over in a convenient lay-by. Jennet. Bright, beautiful, angelic. Their secret daughter. They'd have to tell the others someday.

"This isn't home." Aziraphale murmured.

"No." the demon replied, "Just... thinking."

"Same, dear. Lot to think about."

At length he glanced over. Aziraphale's expression was unreadable, a hand lovingly cradling his lower stomach, but a crease around his eyes showing his worry.

"Angel?" Crowley asked, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I don't want to lose another, Crowley." He didn't turn to look at him as he said this.

"I know." the demon murmured.

"I love them."

A smile touched the corners of Crowley's mouth, "I'm glad."

"Crowley?"

"Yes Angel?"

"Before I get really scared. Thank you. I want this, so much."

Crowley reached to put a hand over Aziraphale's own, "Ngk, me too Angel." he rested their foreheads together, "Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

It took a while longer than usual, but they got home from London safely. As the front door shut behind them, Crowley turned to Aziraphale, "Well."

"Well." his husband echoed.

"I guess we should prepare."

"Prepare? Crowley it's 12 hours old! Anything could happen!" Aziraphale squeaked. Crowley blinked. The colour had drained from his husbands face. He held up his hands, "Angel, Angel!" and moved to hold him, "I mean move the wine. Ssso we remember, after 12 yearss, that we mustn't have it. Check the fridge and freezer for things you mustn't have. That's all. Immediate baby safety."

The angel visibly relaxed in his arms, smiling gratefully, "Thank you Crowley."

"Only my best for my angel and our children." The demon murmured, "Because you are loved. Both of you - all of you."

His husband nuzzled against his chest with a smile.

"We'll speak to Anathema, in case she has any advice." The demon continued, "But for now, you're going to drink some more water and go to bed."

"I'm still not an invalid." The angel replied.

"No." Crowley snorted, "But you're both precious, and you both need looking after. I could preen you-?"

Aziraphale pulled back a little doubtfully, "I'm- I'm not sure you can." distantly the demon thought he heard wind chimes.

"Oh." He remembered, "Right. Well. Maybe I can do something?"

Aziraphale brought his wings out, glancing over his shoulder, "I think they're still on ice."

Crowley's heart sank.

"I guess we won't do that then." He forced a smile, as if it wasn't a worry, an issue and something he had honestly wanted to do for his husband, "We'll have to find another way to pamper you."

"I don't need pampering."

"I'm sorry," Crowley laughed, "Who are you and what have you done with my hedonistic bastard of a husband?"

Aziraphale managed a small smile, "I suppose I do enjoy it."

"What can I do for you then?" The demon took his hand, kissing it gently, "How's your nails?"

"Perfectly fine thank you." was the reply, "I've seen how you cut yours."

"Well what then..?"

"Lock up the wine, dear. Leave the fridge for later. Come and lie down with me."

"Shall I bring the Mr. Sheen?" Crowley teased.

"The-?" Aziraphale frowned at him.

"Well. If I can't preen them, I can maybe polish them." The demon chuckled.

"Crowley!" Aziraphale squeaked, but he wasn't hiding the dimple in his cheek well enough.

*

It was a strange feeling, Crowley thought, lying with his husband in his arms, warm and fuzzy in bed. He'd forgotten quite how imbalanced his Angel's emotions began to feel, and quite how fast they got that way. The instant the Angel knew about the child, his emotional state had started to go off-kilter.

At some point, hopefully, the love would kick into overdrive and things would be reminiscent of having the other children again. Hopefully.

The demon kissed his husband's forehead gently.

He didn't intend to sleep. He was sure he would still be haunted by the events of 12 years ago. But somehow, either the excitement, alcohol, lack of sleep the previous night, or his Angel's all-consuming warmth, lulled him enough that he let go.

He woke in the middle of the night. Aziraphale was missing from bed, and he immediately checked the en-suite in worry. Nothing. He hunted around the upstairs quietly, bathroom, stairs, and bedrooms, finding him in the rocking chair in the twin's old room. The moonlight shone on his hair, making him appear so wholly ethereal that for a moment Crowley wondered if something momentous had happened, if he had forgiven God for giving them another chance at this parenting lark. But no, everything felt the same. Still his damaged angel with his unique aura and unconscious little movements.

"You alright?" the demon asked. Aziraphale glanced up, lost in thought, maybe only half awake, "We're having a baby. Again."

"Yeah." Crowley sat by his feet, gazing up into his eyes.

Aziraphale smiled softly, "It's scary."

"Mmhm."

The angel beckoned him into his lap, cuddling him close.

"Have you."

"You do. Eternity. Promised." Crowley replied, stroking his cheek. Aziraphale sniffed a little, squeezed him a little closer, and sighed, "So much for retirement."

*

"Uncle 'Zira!" Chorused the girls.

"Jennet! Marie!" The angel smiled at them as they ran into the library, "Come for more research, have you?"

Marie began to chatter, something about school, but Jennet had stopped. Aziraphale recognised that expression; he'd seen it on two of his other children the other day.

"Jennet, Dear?"

The girl reached, clenching one hand into a tiny fist by her face, before reaching to place it gently on his middle. She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears as she beamed.

"Thank you for reminding me how much I love my children." He patted her hand, "Marie? We need to go in the living room a moment, we have an announcement to make about something we've gone and accidentally done..."

*

Anathema burst into laughter when they announced their news.

"Rude." Crowley grumbled, "You're behaving like we're past it."

"No!" Anathema bit her lip, "You - you said you weren't planning it - I remember the prophecy now - Accidental is right, if I recall it makes reference to an Angel and a Demon having a night out like a couple of drunk teenagers and paying for it."

"Yes, it does say that." Aziraphale went scarlet remembering, "I recall that now."

"Paying for it?" Crowley panicked, looking between the witch and his husband.

"No, Crowley, not in that manner." Aziraphale soothed, "Just... them existing before we were maybe quite ready for them."

"Oh." the demon went quiet.

"We still have your baby clothes." Anathema said then, "I'll get them down from the attic."

"Oh, no rush!" Aziraphale replied, too quickly. The witch gazed levelly at him, "You are... alright with this, aren't you?"

The angel dropped his head. Crowley took his hand, "We're taking it day by day. And hoping for the best. Right Angel?"

Aziraphale nodded, "Yes dear. Doing our best. But still. Not yet - please not yet. It seems far too much like - like tempting fate."

"I understand." Anathema nodded, "Sensible." A moment later she tilted her head in thought, "I could do you a reading, if you like? I know there's nothing explicitly referring to success in the book, but the cards might-"

"No." Crowley said suddenly, "Because it's boll- a load of rubbish." He gazed at the two girls who were listening to the conversation and probably wondering when they could go and do whatever they had wanted in the library, "And even if it weren't - it's open to interpretation. Like Agnes' wording sometimes. So not accurate. And liable to cause stress."

Anathema nodded, "That part I at least agree with. Aziraphale, If I could have a browse of a few of your books too, I'll see what I can come up with that's entirely safe to drink and helps you stay calm."

"Of course dear, the library's always available to you."

"Uncle Zira, can you read us stories?" Marie managed suddenly. The angel chuckled, "Of course dear girl, shall we go and choose one now while your mother works?"

Crowley glanced to Newt as the others left, "Guess it's just us left making the tea then."

*

"Who do we have left to tell?" Aziraphale asked his husband after waving their visitors off that evening.

"Harriet, but she's gone on holiday." The demon mused, "The Them, and the incidentals, y'know, Tracey, The Youngs..."

"Lucien might appreciate a heads up." The angel replied as he sat on the sofa beside his husband, adjusting his waistcoat.

"Urk. You want to go back up there already?"

"We probably also have a duty of care to that boy."

"Angel, he's somebody else's child and somebody else's problem."

"Maybe." Aziraphale told him, "But he grew up calling us his Uncles, and he's been stuck up there with Beelzebub and nobody else he knows. And he's a teenager - he could use a few familiar faces."

"He's got Sam. He's his own age."

"Sam's not a familiar face."

"Suppose. Guess Lucien's more human than Sam would ever be, raised by a couple of dickheads like the Archangels."

"Good. When would you like to go?"

"Get it out the way. Then we can forget about it."

"Alright. Only you'll have to do the flying again, you see."

"Mmm."

"How about... now?"

"Bloody heck, Angel... what happened to being too soon to prepare?"

Aziraphale twiddled with his fingers, "I'm sorry. You're right. I should space out the good things, keep myself above water."

Crowley reached to squeeze one of his hands gently, "You having a bad time this evening?"

"No! I just..." The angel shuffled closer on the sofa, "Yes."

Crowley moved to hold him, "Well done for telling me." he edged the Angel closer, lying him down gently and sprawling across him, holding him steady and feeling him shake.

"We'll be fine." He murmured, kissing the Angel's cheek, "You and me, always and forever. And them, now."

Aziraphale nuzzled his husband's neck. He gasped a little as tears formed in his eyes and his breath caught, "I'm sorry. I-"

"Ssssshhhh." Crowley murmured, changing into his snake form and weaving gently around and over his husband. Aziraphale held the snake's head to his own, stroking the scales. At length he began to calm, tears and his makeshift weighted blanket warm and heavy. He fell into a doze.

Crowley returned to human form, stroking his husband's face gently, "Sleep better Angel. Please. You need to rest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, Mr. Sheen is technically furniture polish... but can you blame me for slipping that one in?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ones a long one folks *_*

As it was, the rest of their earthbound friends were told long before the Celestial plains were visited. Crowley had brought the topic back up weeks later, one warm day in July. Aziraphale wasn't sure - he'd had a little nausea recently, thankfully nothing as constant and as much like projectile vomiting as last time (no wing appearances for one thing!) but the Angel reminded him gently of how, "This is when it all started, last time."

"I remember." Crowley had replied, "Still have nightmares about that fortnight."

"Oh, dearest." Aziraphale took his hand at this, "I - We will do this soon. I promise you. But. Can we at least wait - at least a fortnight - to maybe be sure? I would hate for anything to happen while we're away from home. I only want to be here, with you, where I'm safe and comfortable."

"Agreed." Crowley nodded, "But if we're waiting a fortnight, lets make it 2 fortnights. End of month 3 that baby is all formed - any problems with their physical form, we'll know about it before then."

The angel beamed, "Thank you, dear." He returned to his toast, "I should find out the shirt Adam brought me, when we first moved here. If he visits at Christmas it will be perfect to wear."

Crowley snorted, "I'm not sure Adam will be able to bring his family here this year - You know his girlfriend will buy the old excuse of you transitioning but keeping the bits, but she can't keep her mouth shut and Adam already had problems with her parents because they had a daughter out of wedlock."

"I suppose." The angel remarked a little sadly, "I was looking forward to seeing Eva opening her presents this year. She might be more enthusiastic."

"You'll see her the year after." Crowley replied, stroking his knuckles, "And then she'll definitely be more into them. And have a little friend to play with!"

Aziraphale frowned at him before the demon gestured with a grin, "Ours, you daft Angel."

"Oh." He beamed, "I forgot for a minute there."

"Good job I put the wine away 2 months ago then."

The angel stood to put his plate in the sink. As he did, Crowley clicked and the radio started up.

"Oh Crowley, always with this channel?" Aziraphale sighed, "I know you like Dante, but-"

"The Divine Comedy, Angel. Not Dante. I would have thought you'd know the difference between Author and work, at least." The demon grinned, "And It's not just them."

"Queen then."

"Nah. Neil Young, Travis, the Charlatans..."

"Sounds delightful." Aziraphale turned away, words dripping with sarcasm. Crowley had noticed something though, "You like this song?"

"What? No I don't, it's awful."

"It's Blur."

"That's one way to describe the way they blend chords and melody."

"Pfft, you can't lie to me, Angel, I saw your shoulders wiggle."

"They did not!" Aziraphale seemed flustered, "You can do the washing up, I'm not staying here to listen to this."

Crowley blinked. Now that was weird. Had he misinterpreted? After all these years?

*

Aziraphale was getting dressed a few weeks later, listening to Crowley's phone blaring music as the demon showered and sang along.

"God only knows?" He frowned, "I suppose she does know what I'd be without you Crowley, or you without me, but it doesn't bear thinking about." He wheeled from the wardrobe and stared at himself in the dress mirror.

"Excuse me..." He stretched his shoulders, and turned away again, spinning back to test something.

There it was again. A wiggle of his shoulders. A happy wiggle. A wiggle born of joy and giggles. 3 times in as many weeks. And much as he wished he could blame himself, there was nothing in the music that was playing any of the times that he really cared for either.

So...

He held his stomach gently, "Is it you, little one?" He paused as if expecting a reply, "Can you hear now? Can you hear your father's taste in music?" He paused again, glancing up at himself in the mirror, "I wonder who you are - who you'll be."

One of his shoulders shifted position before returning to place. The angel patted his middle gently, "You rest dear. You're doing well - You're doing so well. Please keep up the good work."

"You say something, 'Ziraphale?" Crowley's head appeared around the door, long curls wrapped in a towel and body seemingly female today. His partner had been fluttering around the genders since Ariel had broken the news to them and Aziraphale thought maybe he was trying to get some sort of handle on how best to advise her.

He had turned the music off at some point.

"Nothing really dear." The angel replied, beaming, "Just talking to ourselves."

Crowley snorted, "If you're nervous about today you can talk to me, don't burden the little one with it."

"Yes, but the little one doesn't answer back or hog the bathroom when I need it." Aziraphale told him as he followed him back inside the en-suite.

*

Moving from the real to the Ethereal planes of existence had always been a little odd, but when you were nearly 12 weeks pregnant and being carried by your husband it was an effort not to throw up over his shoulder, Aziraphale mused as the wind buffeted them about.

By the time the demon's snakeskin heels landed on the ground, the angel was feeling quite dizzy, and had to sit down. Crowley fussed at him, but the angel insisted he was fine.

"Well well." came a voice suddenly, "Thought I recognised that smell."

"Get lost Hastur. Here to see the little prince." Crowley replied.

"The heaven's wrong with him?" the Duke nodded behind him.

"Nothing-"

"A condition you are familiar with." Aziraphale managed as he stood up, "Perhaps moreso than I thought."

"Fuck off." But there was something lacking in Hastur's usual venom. Something a little... relaxed?

"Look, we'll be out of your frog's hair as soon as we've seen Lucien." Crowley kept himself between the two other beings, "Where's hellspawn at?"

"Brats are both in the scholars work rooms."

"Right, thanks, I suppose." Crowley felt thrown off. Last time he'd seen Hastur, he was a maniac with a hammer on the battlefield. He didn't trust him. But Beelzebub had changed. How were things working up here?

"I'll take you. You won't find it today else."

"Thank you, that would be lovely." Aziraphale smiled.

On the way down, Crowley studied the Duke's clothes. He was still scruffy, tatty, but he appeared somehow cleaner, far less like he was scorched by hellfire and had crawled out of Hell via a drain.

Aziraphale was admiring the mish mash of styles that were springing up in the buildings. Thatched cottages with tiny gothic towers either end of the roof. A vast garden with flowers growing in patterns of red and blue. Hellfire and Holy water, coming together. Wild growing meadows with a skyscraper in the middle, balconies all over it and a playground with a climbing frame in the shape of St. Paul's dome. Aziraphale didn't find the idea of a playground odd, after all, the orders to merge would be taken far less clinically now, he hoped.

A public toilet block stood in the centre of a pretty courtyard, with fountains of what smelt suspiciously like Gin cascading down the walls. Another thing more celestials would be doing he supposed, if breeding was to occur. He'd have to remember where this was for later. Privately, Crowley was thinking the same thing, but for different reasons!

A little Shakespearean manor was next, crammed against a 60s low rise flat. The Himalayas rose in the background, the Brazilian rainforests visible at their feet.

"This is all very interesting." The Angel said at last.

"It's a bloody mess." Crowley managed, "The mind of a 12 year old."

"He only gets final say." Hastur said, "The rest is whoever lives there."

There was a waterpark in the middle of a chunk of the Sahara. This was where Hastur was charged by a familiar blonde figure, "Dad!"

Hastur patted Samehra's head with effort that for him was gentle. The boy followed beside him, falling into step. Crowley noted idly that the boy had a small, live frog in his pocket.

"Class finished then?" Hastur said at length.

"Mmhm."

"What did you learn?"

"Basic Satanic script. Hell, Master Lucifer, plague, hellfire, torment, allegiance."

Aziraphale nearly choked, but kept the noise to himself. Crowley didn't, "Only the best skills, eh?"

"He wanted to learn his heritage." Hastur replied, "If class is over, Lucien will be at the townhouse with the clock above the door."

"Thank you Hastur, good to see you looking so well too Samehra." Aziraphale said as they parted. Crowley kept an eye on them until the two figures had turned and made their way to wherever 'home' was, he guessed.

"I don't like it."

"It's nice, they're bonding."

"It's too nice. Apart from the architecture, that's enough to make a brutalist architect's eyes bleed." Crowley replied, "6000 years plus apart and the war's over, just like that. Where are the brooding demons, the plotting angels? Where do they all hang out?"

"We should ask Lucien." Aziraphale indicated the boy, swinging on a tyre that had been strung from a large tree. Some of the last angels and demons to have been born - the ones who were made for the last war - were scattered around him in the grass. Some of them were impossible to place on a side. There were colours everywhere, and what appeared to be a cocker spaniel was dozing in a flower bed.

Then they got close enough to hear the conversation.

"So shouldn't we wipe humans out, if they're so big a danger to the rainforests?"

"See I wondered that too." Lucien replied, "But as Lucifer's son Adam told me, there are good people, as many as there are bad people at least, and those people are doing what they can. Buying land to keep safe, or making human chains in front of machines, or putting pressure on the government."

"But the rainforests are still dying. I can hear them."

"That's why we have to push them to do better. They had a really bad time a few years ago. Whole world hung in the balance. In some ways it still does." Lucien kicked his legs and swung again, "Of course you could also look at it this way- if humans destroy their own world, something else will probably rise up for us to keep an eye on. Like the roaches. They're cool. They'll survive a nuclear bomb."

"Nuclear..?"

"Yeah, it's not important, another time maybe?" the boy had laid eyes on his visitors, "Talk again soon, hey?"

There were murmurs of agreement from the others, and they left. Lucien smiled, "Hi."

"Lucien dear." Aziraphale smiled, "You have been busy."

"What on somewhere is all this?!" Crowley asked, "What's going on?!"

"Well, first thing was make homes for everybody. And offices where needed." The boy replied, "And they all do shifts, so their work still gets done and everybody gets down time."

"That would be perfect for humans." Aziraphale managed, "But Celestials aren't humans - the lord made that clear enough."

"She left it to me." Lucien replied, with all the certainly of an adolescent boy, "And I say there's no difference apart from clicky fingers and immortality."

"That is refreshing to hear." The angel nodded, "I know she was not best pleased with me, nor I with our discussion."

"She shut you down." Lucien bristled, "That was rude. And there's no excuse for that." He stood up in the tyre, swinging by the rope, "I'd much rather everybody just get on with their work and mingle and be happy and make some mischief."

"Well, we've certainly got news on that front." Crowley snorted.

"Oh?" Lucien brightened, "What's happened? I don't get to hear about Earth much. Is Jennet okay?"

"She's fine." Aziraphale soothed, but Crowley butted in, "There's another muse coming."

"Oh!" The boy beamed, "That's awesome! Bully for you!"

Aziraphale looked confused.

"It's good, Uncle Aziraphale." the boy supplied.

"Where is your parent?" The angel asked, after taking in that comment.

"Bee is running a class."

"A class?" Crowley frowned.

"Mmhm."

"Wouldn't be a class on Satanic script, would it?"

"Nah. That's Sandy."

"Sandalphon?!" The two stared at each other.

"Mmmm, turns out he learned it when Hastur used to get moody and only talk in Hell's tongue. Shocked the heck out of him when he turned around and replied in kind!" The boy laughed, "Everybody gets what they don't know. It's useful."

"Unifying." Aziraphale agreed.

"And Michael looks after me too. She's in the office right now. Workaholic. I even got her a toilet down here to sit on." The boy indicated a toilet that sat, unplumbed, in the garden. Somebody had planted scruffy looking Dahlias in it. Crowley felt the itch of wanting to scream at them, but held it in.

"Will you inform your carers then, Lucien?" Aziraphale asked. The boy nodded, "You're up the duff. Okay. I will."

There was a pause.

"Anything else?" The boy asked.

"..." Crowley stepped forward to hold the tyre steady, "How safe are you?"

"Safe?"

"Yeah. This place you're building is all well and good and free and fair but - there's still dissent, right?"

"Oh." The boy nodded, "Yeah."

"How do you deal with it?"

"I sometimes do a speech when things happen. In the armour. It's pretty cool. Sam knows all about beetles and lizards and things - he told me all about Scarab beetles."

"Is that all?" The demon despaired.

"No." The boy replied, "I do have to scare some of them. But only when they super won't listen."

"You? Scare angels and demons?" The demon asked incredulously, "You're hardly a frightening figure. Samehra at least has muscle on his side."

Lucien laughed. It was a pretty sound, still the laugh of a child. That would be changing soon, by the sound of his voice, "I have imagination on my side, Uncle Crowley."

"You must show me sometime." The demon chuckled.

"I will!" Lucien replied, "But not right now. It's scary." He slipped back into the tyre, "I hope the baby is strong and healthy!"

"Thank you dear." Aziraphale smiled.

Lucien glanced up at the clock above the building door, "Aaaaaaand now you should be going, unless you want to see Bee in person."

"Nah, I'm good." Crowley replied, "Coming home, Angel?"

"Yes, I suppose." Aziraphale replied, "But we must look around more first!"

"Fine, fine, ugly mashup city here we come."

"See you again Lucien, thank you dear!"

"See you." The boy smiled. Left alone briefly he leaned back, looking up at the sun through the tree leaves. His eyes briefly changed from purple to sheer black, and he tapped the back of his head, hearing the knock of his helm, ever present but never seen. Always protecting him.

"Don't worry yourselves. I'm protected. Bee and Michael taught me."

The hellhound in the flowerbed grumbled in agreement.

"And I have you, don't I Sharktooth?" The boy grinned, "Good boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erm the hellhounds names? 
> 
> ...
> 
> "Sharky, and George! The crime busters of the sea! Sharky, and George! Clear up any mystery!"


	5. Chapter 5

The day had been exhausting. So much so that Crowley found himself waking up on the sofa at 3am, having had no evening meal. He groaned, switched the TV off, and stretched as he moved to the library. Aziraphale was asleep face down at the desk, although it looked like he had at least eaten a slice of the cake they had attempted together last week.

Crowley chuckled, "C'mon Angel, that's not doing your back any good..."

"You're telling me." murmured Aziraphale, "Oh Crowley, what time is it?"

"Er...3am?"

"3am...Why didn't you wake me?"

"Why didn't _you_ wake _me_?" Crowley chuckled. Aziraphale laughed brightly, "Oh. I suppose I forgot I need sleep when I do this."

Crowley beamed at him, bending to embrace his shoulders, "C'mon Angel." He swept him up lightly. Aziraphale squeaked, "Crowley!"

"Don't complain, I've got plenty of cuddles for you if you're happy to have them."

"Oh." Aziraphale put his arms around Crowley's neck, "I suppose I could let it slide then..."

Truth be told, Crowley wasn't going to bed to sleep. He rarely did at night anymore. Since London he'd tried not to sleep at night, preferring to watch his angel, keep an eye on him. Once he was up and about in the morning Crowley would nap through the day, in the garden or on the sofa so as not to concern his husband too much.

He was waiting for a sign of which way this was going to go. Now they were at the 3 month mark, there was much less risk of a repeat of last time. But he could still taste Aziraphale's anxiety, and knew the angel could sense his own.

Tonight, in an effort to shove that anxiety, he nuzzled to his husband's soft middle, and in a spike of desperation, decided to push his power just a little bit, enough that he could hear and feel a tiny heart beating away down there.

'Loud.' Came a feeling in his ear. Not a word, more a sensation that his own brain translated as a word. It did it well enough that he jumped in surprise, but there was nobody there.

Aziraphale stirred with his movement, and he returned his head to the angels stomach.

'Safe?'

His breath hitched. He pressed his cheek closer, "Safe. Sssssorry. Go back to sssleep. Sssafe."

He paused.

"Loved." he murmured.

*

At 15 weeks, Crowley caught those little shoulder wiggles in his husband again. This time while he was filing books, Bolero soaring away on his gramophone. He had stopped in the doorway to admire the way that Aziraphale's waistcoat was starting to round out again, just a little but enough that he kept having to adjust it.

"Don't stare." The angel told him.

"Just admiring what a good job you're doing." The demon grinned, "You have got to be the best angel for this that there is."

Aziraphale raised a finger and opened his mouth, but Crowley didn't let him speak, "There you are, just being all angelic and kind and warm. Kinda jealous of the small one."

"Really, dear." As the angel turned away though, there it was. Crowley beamed, "There's no need to hide happy wiggles, Angel."

He had gone when Aziraphale turned back. His hands clasped behind his back briefly, pushing his middle out a little, "What have I told you about that, my small one?"

Another wiggle was his reply. He couldn't suppress a giggle, "Oh, you're a happy one."

He hissed at a twinge in his back. The sound brought Crowley back in an instant, "Angel?!"

Aziraphale brushed off his concern, "Just my back. Pulled something."

"Will you be alright in the Bentley all the way to London?" The demon worried.

"I'll be fine, anything to see the children-" Aziraphale grimaced as he made to move. Crowley came to his side to support him, "Take it easy Angel-"

Aziraphale moaned, "I don't think I can move."

"In which case." Crowley swept him up. Aziraphale shrieked in pain. The demon took him to the sofa, clicked it open into a sofabed, and laid his husband down on it gently, "Let me try this." he pressed fingers gently to the angel's side, seeking out which muscle, tendon, ligament it might be that was causing the trouble.

At a loss, he jammed a thumb into the angel's side to try and apply blunt healing energy. Aziraphale cried out, "C-Crowley stop!"

The demon glanced up at his husband. The angel lay twisted over, arms wrapped around himself, "I can't - I can't."

"That's why I was-"

"No. Can't stand the pain."

"Can you stand, full stop?"

The angel slowly, tentatively turned onto his side before giving up, "No."

"Then you can't sit in the car, either."

Aziraphale huffed, "I did so want to go to Alice's reading."

"I'll ask if I can film it for you. Sure Alice won't mind."

"It's not really the same..." Aziraphale sighed, "But thank you, dear."

"Let me get you a flask of tea and some books." The demon said, standing, "And bring this light into reach so if it gets dark you can keep reading. And-"

"Dear. I will be fine. Just some cushions, and help me sit comfortably."

Crowley did all he'd mentioned anyway, and set some cake and sandwiches out too, because he knew better than to accept 'I will be fine' when he was going to be out most of the afternoon.

"I'll give them your love." He called as he left.

"Thank you dear." The angel was already lost in a book to hide his disappointment.

*

Crowley listened to Alice's literature talk the same way he sometimes listened to Aziraphale enthusing about authors and their works. Half listening for any questions aimed his way, but otherwise letting the rest of the world drown his senses. At least focussing on his phone screen as he recorded was acceptable in this instance. And there was a lot he could brush off with concern for his husband.

He didn't stay with Alice long after her talk - some sort of in depth analysis of an original novel vs. the novelisation of the film made from it.

"Your Daddy was disappointed." Crowley told her afterwards, "He was looking forward to this. I'll have to get this video to him soon."

"Thank you for coming, Dad." The girl smiled, "Please give my love to Daddy, and I hope his back feels better soon."

"So do I." Crowley chuckled, "I don't think either of us wants me to carry him up and down stairs." he paused, "How's Ri?"

"Ri is alright." the girl nodded, "Still hasn't gone back to the student LGBT+ union though."

"Too noisy?"

"Too noisy. And bright. And a waste of time if the Trans mentor is still sick."

Crowley shook his head, "Oh little Ri..." He paused, "Is she at the flat?"

"No." Alice replied, "She's doing protest art with her classmates today. Equality for all, fuck the rich - or some such thing."

"Well, make sure she doesn't end up behind bars won't you? I'm not coming back out tonight to pay her bail." Crowley snorted, "And Alex?"

"Lex is trying out for a new role today. He hasn't told us what, yet."

"So long as it's not a role playing the actual devil." The demon sighed, "Iscariot was bad enough."

*

The demon was walking the streets of London on the way back to the Bentley. He took out his phone as he passed St James' park, messaging his husband.

_Kid was great, reminds me of you when she goes off on one about books._

That was when he collided with a park jogger. They yelped, "Watch out where you're going damn demon!"

Crowley glanced up beyond his phone. Purple eyes glared at him.

"You nearly had me over!"

"Same, dickhead!" Crowley snarled, "Joggers are a menace to everybody. Get your ass in the road, where you can crawl with the traffic!"

"Oh, very clever comeback. Must have taken you all night to come up with that." Gabriel, oddly enough, didn't look pleased to see him. The feeling was entirely mutual.

"At least I wasn't evicted from my home and job for getting the wrong end of the stick for 6000 years!"

Gabriel stiffened, "I'm still no demon. So I'm not forsaken. And you are. She forgives me my crimes but you must remain a demon. Maybe she just doesn't love any of you."

"Well she certainly doesn't love you, she didn't even want to deal with you-" Crowley snarled.

"It won't be my problem soon anyway." Gabriel replied as he dusted himself down, "You and your idiot husband, you're a pair of world destroyers! Sooner or later one of you - probably Aziraphale given his temper now - will lose it, your own gravitational fields will go haywire, and tear this revolting little planet apart!"

The former Archangel Gabriel smugly pushed past him, and continued on his afternoon jog. Crowley felt icy panic shoot up his spine, and ran for the Bentley.

*

Crowley flew from the Bentley as soon as she rolled to a halt in front of the house. A click saw her rolling gently into the garage under the extra bedrooms they'd had built years previously for Alexas and Jennet, and settling herself down for the night.

He flew into the living room. Aziraphale was where he'd left him, with the addition of a blanket that he must have had to move for. He was dozing, and jumped at the noise as the front door swung shut of it's own accord, "Crowley?" He blinked in the dim light. Crowley put the main light on, "Angel..."

The angel smiled, "How was it? I'm rather afraid I fell asleep some time ago..." He rubbed his eyes blearily.

"I-I need to see your true form. Right now." The demon managed.

Aziraphale stared blankly at him. Then his eyes widened, "No."

"Angel, we agreed, no secrets now."

"No. Crowley, I won't risk their life."

"Angel..." The demon despaired, but wasn't about to push the subject. The last thing he would ever want to do was harm a child, especially their own, especially now!

He nodded slowly, "Okay. Understood. Swap then - should be safe."

"...No."

Crowley narrowed his eyes, "Angel we've done it before and had no problems."

"No. I'm not just being careful, Crowley." Aziraphale replied, "It's cold in here. You will get hurt. Or what if the wings transfer to your body? Or if changing the internal temperature harms them? Or you? Or me?"

"Aziraphale this is important!" Crowley despaired.

"So are they." The angel snapped, "And you."

Crowley fell silent. Then he shook his head, "Fine." He turned on his heel and walked back out. A few moments later the front door shut, and the Bentley fired back up. Aziraphale took a deep breath, the irritation fading, "Oh dear. I wonder what that was about."

He rested his hands on his stomach, closed his eyes, and turned his sight inwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I currently have Katy Perry's 'last Friday night' in my head for the ineffable husbands (given this conception it seems apt)  
> If anybody wants to draw that please do XD


	6. Chapter 6

Behind Aziraphale's closed eyes, he pictured himself neatly dressed in waistcoat and bow tie as usual, but without the new closeness of the clothes at his waist. He stood in a field. It was cold, but sunny. There was patchy snow here. Once upon a time this place was a summer's day, and he went here during meditation or simply to avoid the noise of modern life. He hadn't attempted this in a while because...

He looked up. The sky of this imaginary plain was filled with ice, fur, words, eyes and wings. The behemoth floated serenely above, not even casting a shadow, but impossible to ignore.

"Hello there." He murmured.

There was a polite cough behind him and he turned to see himself, 6000 years younger, still in his plain white robe and with brilliant white wings, his face full of beautific innocence and questions.

"Hello, not seen me in a while." Past him smiled brightly.

"Good evening." He managed, "It has been some time."

"You look surprised." the young Angel replied, "I mean, of course you look surprised, you haven't been back here for any reason that required me."

"And you are..? Besides me, I mean." Aziraphale asked.

"Well dear, just think about it." The young Angel smiled, "There's a lot of life lived in here. Centuries of information, all of it useful in one way, or another. You have, quite rightly, compartmentalised your experiences into easily reviewable chunks rather than go entirely mad."

"I see." Aziraphale nodded, "And you're the librarian, I suppose?"

The young Aziraphale glowed as he smiled, the very picture of Angelic grace, "Why of course, I was here first, the founder you might say, I built all this, our happy place."

"Then what's IT doing up there?" Aziraphale pointed to the behemoth.

"Uh..." The smile fell briefly, "Backstroke?"

Aziraphale narrowed his eyes. The smile returned to the youngster, "They are an experience of their own. But they are still my - your... our experience. They shape and form all our future, just like any major event in our lives. Like... seeing our reflection for the first time, or the invention of wine, Plato, The Gavotte."

"You make it sound like I found a mole, rather than..." he glanced up again but found himself unable to take it all in.

"Careful now, the minds of these corporations aren't meant to take all this in. Truth be told I'm not sure Angel brains are either."

"I'm fairly sure I'm not an angel anymore, thank you."

The young him smiled softly, "But you're always you. Call him down if you need to talk. Just watch your ears will you. We can be a little... Operatic."

In a blink, the younger Angel was gone. He gazed up at the creature, swallowed, and inhaled experimentally.

"Hello there?"

The face turned to look down at him. The monster whirled gently around, landing on all it's feet and shaking itself off, "Hello. It's been forever."

"Yes, I-I apologise. I was... afraid."

"Afraid of yourself?" The behemoth snorted, "You've got me chained up down here, to all intents and purposes. What did you want?"

Aziraphale bit his lip, "Crowley is concerned about me. About - you. Us."

"What does he want to know?"

"I-I don't know. He stormed out you see."

"Well..." The behemoth mulled this over, "Ask me later. Don't waste our time." It wiggled its shoulders slightly, pleased with its bastardry, a movement so reassuringly him that the Angel reached to lean against it.

He jumped. It was cold.

"Oh."

"Why are you so warm, anyway?" It had a lion's tail today, which flicked idly in an approximation of his own nervous hands. He paused, "Er..."

It brought it's face close, oily rainbow eyes closed as it sensed at him, "Ah. Yes, it is best I don't come out then." It smiled, jagged teeth somehow not managing to ruin the joy there, "Cute kid. Explains this anyway."

"Explains what-" Aziraphale gasped. The small wings at it's head had been curved back as a swans would be, but now they opened out to reveal a little ball of light and wings.

"Oh!" He squeaked, "That's our-"

The behemoth rolled it's eyes back a little to catch a glimpse of the little wings as the ball cooed and twinkled to itself, "That's them."

Aziraphale felt his chest seize with joy. He held a hand there, feeling the emotion. Then a thought occurred to him, "I want him to see them. I've hurt him. He deserves to see."

"You know how to let him see without bringing me out." The Behemoth snorted, "Don't know why you didn't suggest it before he walked out."

"You'll see him soon." Aziraphale promised. As he started to withdraw, he grimaced, "Ah."

"You silly little angel." The Behemoth chuckled, breathing ice air at him. Aziraphale squeaked, but felt the sudden white hot relief of healing magic, "Oh. Thank you."

*

Crowley stalked from the Bentley some hours later, carrying a plastic bag with him. He opened the front door with trepidation, leaving the car to sort herself out again. He made his way to the kitchen and emptied the bag. Wires, headphones, and tiny speakers. He was hooking everything up to his phone when Aziraphale appeared at the kitchen door, "You're back, dear. What's all this?"

The demon froze a moment. As the angel appeared at the table beside him and slid into a chair, he sighed.

"I figured... you weren't going to let me swap to let your body rest, either. I wanted to introduce them to my sounds. Like with the others." He blinked, noticing for the first time, "Angel, you're up."

"I had a talk. With myself. They fixed me up. And... Crowley, we've been so stupid."

"..?"

"You could just look inside, no problem there."

"...I could have." Crowley blinked, realisation crossing his face, "...Angel." The word was full of all the regret of walking out on him earlier, the hurt of their little argument.

"But." Aziraphale said, taking his hand, "Why do you want to look? What's worrying you?"

"...I ran into Gabriel."

"Oh?"

"He said..." The demon's face creased in pain, "Angel he described us as world destroyers."

Aziraphale snorted, "Pfft. Look inside me, Crowley. And when you're satisfied, ask the Beast of Tadfield to show you his surprise."

"Surprise?"

"Surprise." Aziraphale giggled, "Then you can show me what all this is."

Crowley stood in front of his husband, and bent slowly to touch their foreheads together, pushing gently against the soul within. Aziraphale relented, letting him in and cradling his being gently. Crowley exhaled, "It's different to my inside."

"That's because you're not me, silly serpent." The behemoth said, "What did you want?"

Crowley gazed up at the celestial monster. It's tail flicked idly, it's human hands stretched and clenched their fingers. It looked uncomfortable on the ground. Its frozen wings glittered like faceted glass.

"What are you?" the demon said at length, "Gabriel said you were a world destroyer."

The behemoth gazed at him incredulously, "A world destroyer?!" It laughed, "A world destroyer, he thinks!" It rose on it's two pairs of legs, its other four limbs flailing with effort from the laughter.

"It's not such a hard thought." Crowley defended, "Even I thought you were, on that battlefield."

The creature's face snapped back down to gaze at him, and it smiled warmly, "Why, my dear husband, would a world destroyer be emblazoned with the languages it was thought to destroy?"

"I-I don't know." Crowley managed.

"Gabriel is a liar, a mess, and has no place in heaven now." The behemoth said, taking his shoulders with it's human hands, "He knows nothing. But you know me. You know you. Who do you think we are?"

"Not destroyers."

"No. Not destroyers. Protectors."   
Crowley shifted, cold reaching through his imaginary form's clothes, "I trust you, Aziraphale."

"I trust you too dear." the creature chuckled, "Oh! I must show you."

It's wings pulled apart again, "Look at your small one."

Crowley couldn't manage a word. He gazed at the little ball of light that was lowered down to him atop the behemoth's head. At length he made to reach for it.

"Erm. I wouldn't do that if I were you." Came a voice from behind him. Crowley glanced around, "'Ziraphale?'

"Well, he should explain to you, but yes, in a sense." The garden of Eden Aziraphale beamed, "Hello dear. I meant, you probably shouldn't touch the little one's soul. Not yet."

"Of course." The demon nodded, "I wasn't thinking." He gazed back at the light and wings, "Hello little one. I'm going to play you some tunes. Let us know when you can hear them."

"Oh dear." the young Aziraphale said, "I feel great trepidation at that idea."

"Just you wait and see." Crowley snorted, "As for you big guy, thanks." He patted one large hand, "Look after them."

"We all are." It replied, but curled it's wings around the little soul, and pushed itself skywards without another word. Crowley turned to look once more at the younger version of his husband. Wide eyed, innocence itself. And those wings...

"Do you... see what's happened to your wings?" He asked.

"Dear." Aziraphale replied, "I am as much your husband as they are, as the corporation you're touching is. I am the part that curates memories and hopes and... sometimes it's a little confusing with the little one too. But it's not dull."

"That wasn't what I asked, Aziraphale."

"I know. I feel it. But I am not the one who must respond to it. I am the filing system." He glanced briefly skywards, "And I believe you have something to show me, out there."

Crowley inhaled as he was gently pushed back to his own body, "Angel. Angel." He managed, embracing his husband.

"Did you see?" Aziraphale asked.

"They're beautiful." Crowley managed, "Takes after their dad."

Aziraphale raised an eyebrow, "Which dad?"

Crowley snorted "Do I look like a glowing ball of love to you?!"

Aziraphale beamed, and reached to kiss his forehead, "Always, dear. Always."

*

Crowley had Aziraphale settled in bed before he showed him what the device was he had brought home.

"We sort of had one before, well, I made it up when we swapped so I could feel the twins." He managed excitedly, "You put the speaker suction cups like so." He opened the Angel's pyjama top and with serious thought, positioned them low down on his stomach, "What music do you want?"

"Something gentle?" Aziraphale asked.

Crowley flicked through his phone, "Tchaikovsky. Arabian dance?"

"That's perfect."

The demon handed his husband an earphone and took the other himself as he snuggled down beside him, "We hear exactly what the speakers are playing for them. And they're small, and might not be ready to hear yet, but I - I just wanted..."

Aziraphale took his hand, lacing their fingers together, "To let them know we're here. And that we love them." He smiled.

The demon huddled close, almost purring for joy. For once, that evening, they both slept.


	7. Chapter 7

Jennet lay on the floor of her bedroom, sprawled over a pillow. Marie was sitting on a beanbag nearby. Books and toys were strewn all over the floor. Only a couple of weeks into the summer holiday and they were already bored!

"Lets play truth or dare." Marie announced.

Jennet groaned, "But it will all be dares, and it's no fun with only two of us, we know all each other's secrets."

Marie smirked, "Not all of them! Just gotta get creative! I'll ask first..." She shuffled onto the floor, "Truth or Dare?"

Jennet rolled her eyes, "Alright. Truth, if you're so smart."

"How do you feel about your soon to be baby brother or sister?"

"My what?!" Jennet jumped up, staring at her sister. Marie stared levelly back. A metaphorical key was turned in Jennet's brain, releasing a lock all too hastily crafted the year previous.

"You know?" She whispered.

"'Course I know." Marie replied, "You feel like Uncle Zira."

"We are both Angels."

"And Li, Ri and Lex."

"Oh."

"And Uncle Crowley. A bit." Marie tilted her head, "So how do you feel about the new baby?"

"Happy." Jennet beamed, "I'm so happy they're happy."

"So what happened to you?"

Jennet opened her mouth. Then she paused, "That wasn't the question. I answered the question, it's my turn now! Truth or dare?"

*

The summer had been warm. Aziraphale was glad to find it a little easier to cope with not even being 5 months gone in August. And moreso when the children came to visit for a week.

"Daddy!" Ariel beamed at him, "Oh! I can see them properly now!"

Aziraphale smiled as the girl dropped to her knees in front of the sofa, to put her head to his little bump, "Have you felt them move yet?"

"Not yet dear." He replied, trying not to let his anxiety over this fact show, "But it's only 17 weeks. Could be any day now."

"I hope so." She beamed, "I bet its being all lazy and sleepy, like dad."

"Or facing backwards." Alice added, "You won't feel it that way." She glanced to Alexas as he came in, swinging the car keys.

"How was that for driving?"

"As good as I'd expect from a provisional licence holder." Alice replied, "Little sibling is trying to make up for how bad you kicked up Daddy's insides by not shifting."

"Lazy sod." the boy replied with a snort, "I got all the energy."

"Actually, it could have been a lot different if the last one had lived." The angel replied. Crowley glanced to him, "Are we... telling them this now?"

"Might as well." Aziraphale said, "Sit down dears. There's something we didn't tell you about the war last year."

Alexas raised an eyebrow, "Not more war stories..."

"No." Crowley replied, "We... we met little Spark."

Ariel squeaked, "You met them?!"

Aziraphale's hand found his middle, stroking down his shirt where he'd had to open his waistcoat, "The Lord took her soul. And returned her to earth."

"As Jennet?" Alice guessed.

"As Jennet." Crowley grumbled, "How did you guess?"

"She fitted right in with us. More than Marie even though they were always together. And she always liked to go to sleep on you both."

Aziraphale nodded.

"Jennet!?" Alexas shrieked, "You mean I've gone from being youngest to having 2 younger siblings in the space of 4 months?!"

"I guess so." Crowley replied, "But... she doesn't remember."

"What?" Ariel frowned.

"Little mind lock. Just to protect her from everything that happened, keep her safe and happy and keep the peace with her family." The demon explained, "She... was owed a childhood. For all she was used by that ass of a deity."

The three youngsters were quiet a moment, taking in the enormity of it all.

"Then she... fought." Ariel realised, eyes filling with tears, "Poor little Jennet. She was in a war."

"She was." Aziraphale stroked her hair, "I did my best to put things right for her."

*

Marie flew down the stairs squealing, Jennet in pursuit.

"Girls!" Anathema cried, in the middle of a recipe, as the two flew around the kitchen table, leaping the chair seats and squealing. At their mother's tone, Marie ran for the back door and out into the garden, Jennet following. She flew off the back step, jumping onto the lawn and running off towards the shed, where she'd seen her sister go.

A moment later she was hit by a spray of water from the super soaker. She screamed, "Marie no fair!"

"You have it then!" The younger girl laughed, throwing it across the lawn, and leaping out a moment later with a plastic sword, "En garde!"

Jennet snapped to stare at her sister, down the length of the sword. A vision of dark blood scattering across her robes from a wound in a boy her own age returned to her. Marie spun, daintily poking her shoulder with the toy, "Defend yourself sister!"

Jennet burst into tears, and ran for the house, leaving her bewildered sister standing on the lawn alone.

*

Aziraphale woke with a yawn. He had dropped off on the sofa again in the wake of the children's visit. His book was resting on the coffee table, and he could hear his husband in the kitchen. He sat up, out of puff from the sudden movement, "Oh dear little one, what must you think of me?" He sat back a little. Distantly he heard a click and the radio came on in the other room.

He was distracted at that point by a distinct nudge and flutter somewhere under the hand on his belly.

His eyes widened, and tears had streaked his cheeks before he could unfreeze.

"Angel, 10 minutes to-" Crowley noted his expression, "Angel?" He was at his side in a moment. Aziraphale's breath caught, only partly aware of his husband. Another nudge, a little wiggle that transferred to his left shoulder.

"Angel?" Crowley was panicking, and the tone of his voice eventually got through. Aziraphale reached to hold his hands, still fixated ahead of him, "Crowley, I felt them move." He burst into tears. Crowley collapsed onto the sofa beside him to hold him, "Oh Good, I'm so glad, Sssso glad Angel, I-I thought ssssomething wassss..." He tailed off.

"Crowley?" Aziraphale worried. His husband sat up, his expression bewildered. Then he reached to hold the Angel's face, "I-I can feel love. Ssssso much. An avalanche. I-Isss that you?"

"Oh, Crowley." Aziraphale spluttered, sobbing as he leaned forward to hug him again.

"I missed this." He managed, "Oh Crowley, I missed this so much!"

*

Marie skidded into the kitchen, "It wasn't me, I didn't do anything-"

"She's dripping wet." Anathema told her without looking up from her work, "So what did you do?"

"Okay I sprayed her with the water pistol. But that's all!"

"She's with your father." The witch replied, "Go and say sorry."

"But I didn't do anything!" Marie protested. At her mother's expression, she rolled her eyes, "Fine."

Anathema sighed as the girl went through. The cards had told her today would be hard. She put a sprig of mint into the pan on the heat, and waited.

The girl made her way through to the living room. Newt was sat forward on the sofa, trying to calm the girl who was near hysterical.

"Sorry sis. Didn't mean to soak you."

The girl ignored her, not turning from her father at all.

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" Marie said again, "I didn't mean it. Please come and play. You can have the sword if you like."

Jennet's sobs increased in pitch. Marie stood for a few moments before Anathema joined them, "It's alright Marie. I'm sure it wasn't your fault. Here Jennet, drink this." She passed a mug to Newt, who eyed her and it before holding it carefully for the girl to sip at, "Come in the kitchen Marie dear. Let her calm down, and we'll make some lunch."

"But Mama..."

"I know, I know. Some things are just meant to be though. She'll be okay."

"Was it anti panic?" Marie asked, hopping up into a chair to cast her eye over the ingredients on the table.

"We'll make an occultist of you yet, young lady." The witch replied, ruffling her hair.

"Why did she panic?"

"Well, what were you doing apart from playing chase and fighting?"

*

Alexas squealed as he threw himself into the sea. The three had come down to the beach for the afternoon, spending time in the familiar places they had enjoyed as children.

"We should invite Jennet and Marie next time we do this." Alice said to Ariel, "I'm sure that their parents would appreciate an afternoon off. And they would enjoy some time out just having fun."

"Mm." Ariel nodded, "Hey. How does Ari sound to you?"

"Ari?"

"Mm. As a sort of nick-name. If I'm going to be dabbling. Don't know if it sounds better than Ri."

"Suppose. You want us to call you that, try it out?"

"That would be... helpful." The red head slapped sun block on their freckled arms, and raised an eyebrow, "Alexas is making a lot of splash."

"Tell him to knock it off?" Alice suggested, nose returning to her book, "Else I won't tell him where the best chippie is."

"He knows where the best chippie is." Ariel laughed, "He remembers every meal he's had since the day he was born."

"Guess you have me there, Ari." Alice replied, "Tell him what you want to be called. He won't be able to hear you if he's splashing around, might calm him down."

"Hah! Chance would be a fine thing." The younger twin stood, making their way towards the water.

Alice frowned a moment later at the sound of a chorus of wolf whistles and cat calls. She dropped her book.

"I'm not interested." Ariel was telling a lad, who was sat on one of the groynes that broke up the beach.

"That's not on, hot girl like you, where you been hiding out? Where you from?" He was saying.

"I'm REALLY not interested." Ariel made to turn away but he had grabbed for her hand. She yelped, yanking it back.

Alice made to move, but before she could, there was a mighty splash, more like a wave than something a human body could produce. Alexas stood between the two figures. The lads were complaining about their wet clothes and starting to clamber over the groyne to head back towards Bournemouth, where the wind was a little less cutting and they could dry off.

"Hey man, don't cut in-" The lad was saying, but Alexas was having none of it.

"My sibling said no, so piddle off home assface."

"Can't she speak for her fucking self?!" The lad was getting irate now. Alice raised her hand.

"No, they're socially awkward and you're a pushy dick." Alexas growled. The lad's bristled stance suddenly relaxed, and he left without another word. Alice picked her book back up, satisfied the two would be safe now.

"Thank you." Ariel said.

"Think you should thank Li, but no problem." Alexas replied, "Dicks. Think they can objectify bloody anybody. You coming in? Sea's lovely."

"Maybe the shallows, yeah." Ariel smiled, "Don't think I want to do more than paddle. Lex, can I ask what you think about this name?"

"Sure!" The lad had started to move back down the surf, "C'mon, you can tell me while we race!"

*

"I think Alice was right and they were facing backwards before, dear." Aziraphale was saying as he brought his mug to the kitchen.

"Mm?" Crowley glanced up at him.

"If only because of the sheer amount of wriggling I've felt since earlier. Like they've turned around." The angel was wiggling happily, shifting on the balls of his feet.

"Well, I'm glad. I was starting to worry. Even seeing them, and seeing that waistcoat struggling to hold shut." Crowley chuckled.

"I know." Aziraphale nodded, "I wasn't willing to just trust until I could feel it."

He stood in the kitchen doorway briefly, holding the bump tenderly. Crowley clicked the radio on, and happily spun around the kitchen, singing into a wooden spoon he had just fished out of the drawer.

"Oh." Aziraphale said suddenly. His mouth hung open, and not because of the smell of fresh crepes, or ginger infused hot chocolate.

"What?" Crowley asked, suddenly worried again.

"I... they..." Aziraphale smiled, "They're moving to the beat."

Crowley blinked. Then the artist dropped the bass. The next thing he knew, Aziraphale had crumpled to the floor in a heap.


	8. Chapter 8

Anathema stroked her daughter's hair as Newt finished the story. Both of them had fallen asleep, a strong lavender infusion in their night time drinks to thank.

Newt lifted Marie gently and put her to bed, while Anathema did the same for Jennet. Kisses were given, delicate little hands were tucked in under light summer eiderdowns, and the skylight window was cracked open just a little for some air.

"What do you think that was about?" Newt asked as they closed the door and made their way downstairs. Jennet had calmed after her drink, but hadn't been herself for the rest of the afternoon. Quiet, tearful, tense. Marie had started to get quiet too, obviously worried and blaming herself for something she wouldn't tell her parents.

So after the evening meal, Anathema had visited her cupboard to find an already brewed, relaxing addition to their pre-bed warm milk. It had worked a charm, both girls yawning their way to their parent's arms, and lasting for most of a story before being lulled into peaceful sleep. And peaceful it was; Anathema had been concerned that Jennet's might not be.

"I wonder if it's to do with what she saw when she went to the Celestial plain." The witch replied, "Aziraphale said he had tried to help her, tried to block it off a little from her mind, so she didn't have to deal with it yet. Perhaps something triggered that block to break."

"Water?"

"Unlikely, she loves swimming. No, Marie said she threw her the water pistol and picked up that plastic sword your father got them."

"Plastic sword... Ana, what do you think she did while she was up there?"

"They were fighting a war, Newt. I don't think it can have been anything healthy for a child to witness."

The man sighed as he slumped in his chair, "A war. Our daughter, in a war!"

Anathema added a drop of her cordial to both of their drinks, "Come on, Newt. Lets take the cocoa to bed. Early nights all around I think."

"What about the washing up?" he started to raise the mug to his lips. Anathema affectionately placed her hand on his wrist and smiled.

"We can do that with breakfast. After Bed..."

"Oh!" Newt scrambled up the stairs.

Anathema pinched the bridge of her nose. Crisis averted, at least she wouldn't have to haul him up the stairs, this time!

*

Aziraphale woke as somebody tried to haul him off the floor. There were hands everywhere, and Crowley was complaining about somebody being in the way.

"He's my dad!" Alexas sulked, "And I want to help. And you're in my light Dad, stop flapping!"

"Please." The angel managed, "Please don't argue."

"Angel..." Crowley was cradling his head, "Angel, I'm so sorry, I didn't expect, you looked fine-"

"What happened?" He managed.

"You passed out." Alexas told him, "We opened the door and you were just stood in the doorway then you just dropped."

"Ah." The Angel nodded, "That would explain why my knees hurt."

"Did you feel anything, Dad?" Ariel was asking, "You sound as confused as the rest of us."

"Nothing dear." Aziraphale replied, "But could somebody help me up, please? It's very disconcerting having this conversation on the floor."

More scrambling, more hands offered, but eventually he was up and lead to the sofa, where he slumped unceremoniously, "Those tiles are cold."

"Are you alright Daddy?" Ariel was asking. Aziraphale smiled at her, "I'm fine. Fainting happens, I'm sure I've read."

Crowley narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

"Oh! My dears, after our conversation this morning, you won't guess what happened!" The angel cried brightly.

* 

Anathema stirred, the warm room broken up by a light draft. A moment later there was a snuffle that she was lightly aware of.

After 12 years, she had got used to cries of, 'Mama, Mama I was sick' and such - and she almost groaned at the mere thought of having to function after taking the herbal sleep aid. Then though, there was the touch of a small, warm hand, another on the bedclothes, and a pair of legs hoisted up on top of them.

Before she knew it, Jennet was cuddled up to her chest. Her breath caught as she continued to cry, but they were silent tears now, exhaustion rearing it's ugly head, and the girl wrapped her arms around her neck and fell asleep again in almost the same action.

Anathema wrapped her arms around her daughter, murmuring comforting things in her ear as she rocked her gently.

*

The children went home a week later. Aziraphale missed them terribly - from Alexas's insistence that his next role 'was a secret' but he'd been short listed right down to the last two, to Ariel's tales of kindness and inspiration amoungst the protest group, to Alice discussing her literature talk with him as they would have had he been able to attend it.

With the sadness of them going home came a few emotions he thought he had worked through. His passing out had been completely unprecedented, and it had worried him; His anxiety seized upon it just as hard as it had seized upon the melancholy of watching the children leave, and it quietly brewed in his brain for a week before it had to come out, somehow.

Crowley had been dreaming pleasantly, until his dream self heard crying. Something was too real about it, and it roused him. Aziraphale was absent.

He made his way to the en suite, where the angel was sitting on the floor, trying to hug his knees to himself. He was the source of the noise. He glanced up guiltily, his eyes red.

Crowley panicked, the location, the angel being on the floor again, the tears - his mind started to spiral.

Aziraphale saw it, "No. No. No no Crowley, it's alright, honest- It's alright. They're fine - I'm sorry - nothing's wrong."

"Then what-why-?!" Crowley sank to his knees, "Angel..."

"I'm sorry." He muttered, "I'm just..." He took a stuttering breath, "I'm scared, Crowley."

"I know. I'm scared too." the demon replied, words catching in his throat, "But-but I believe in you, Angel. T-to do this."

"What if I don't believe in me?" Aziraphale let his knees down and held his bump, "There's so much more life and love than Jennet was able to make. What if I--if I lose them?"

"No. You won't. Her upstairs moves in mysterious ways but she wouldn't take another one." Crowley pleaded for his husband to see sense.

"We don't know that, love..."

"No. But if she really loves us she won't. If she loves us, this is to make up for all that pain. Angel..." He kissed his cheeks, kissed his tears away, "I know, you never think you're good enough, she hurt you badly. You have to believe me though. Even if you won't believe yourself. You can do this. You had 3 children before Jennet, we've got numbers on our side. And what about that magic number 9?"

Aziraphale dropped his head, sniffling. Crowley kissed his forehead, "You can do it, I promise."

"They're so active Crowley. So active, so loving. But I'm scared to love them."

"That's not true."

"Oh, you'd know would you?"

"Yeah. For one thing, you told me you loved them before they were half a day old. For another, it wouldn't know what love felt like, if it hadn't felt yours. You're scared to recognise it, but that doesn't mean you don't love them."

Aziraphale blinked at him, opening his mouth, hesitating, then managing to speak, "I'm not sure I can... feel it like I could."

"Your powers are weak after so long without recognising her. Even as our own thing, you drew that power from her." Crowley soothed. He felt cold inside though. _My angel can't feel our kids love? When *I* can?_

"Come back to bed." He managed a moment later, "I'll look after you both."

An hour or so later, the baby headset playing something soothing and Aziraphale cuddled in Crowley's arms, he drifted off. Crowley lay him down gently, slipped out of bed, and let his own panic take over for a while.

Of course, between one thing and another, Aziraphale was awake again before too long, this time with Crowley absent.

He paused, waited a moment, before he heard sniffling. He panicked. Usually Crowley brought his nightmares to him, so what on earth..?

 _Surely I can't have worried him too much. Oh goodness, I've worried him too much, haven't I?_

Crowley was sitting on the floor of the en suite this time, head in hands. He was sobbing as quietly as he could. Aziraphale joined him, offering him an arm that was gladly huddled into.

"Dear, whatever is the matter?"

Crowley couldn't reply. He just shook. Aziraphale sat with him, held him tightly, gently murmured soft things. Eventually the demon quietened.

"Mind telling me what that was about?" the Angel asked.

"You can't feel their love like I can anymore." He managed, "I'm sorry, it's my fault you-"

"Fell? Dear Crowley, without your support I would have stormed into hell and fought Beelzebub for their crown! Every thing that happened to me back then was my choice, my fault. You had to deal with the fallout and keep the children from seeing my worst. You did perfectly and I can never thank you enough."

Crowley nodded slowly, taking it all in. Then he held his head, tears still rolling, "But it's not fair, Angel. You were made for love. And you can't feel the intensity-"

"I feel love, Crowley. Even though it's muted, admittedly. But you can feel it, so I know it's there. Please don't feel bad for me, or guilty on my account. We got here under our own steam, an angel and a demon turned ineffable muse makers."

Crowley's breath hitched, "Never thought I'd hear you say that word again Angel, and now, twice in one year?"

Aziraphale smiled faintly, "It is a word, with a usage." At Crowley's expression he murmured, "And I must admit. The Lord did take Jennet for important reasons. Not that I would ever condone it."

"No." Crowley laced his fingers with his husbands, "Same."

"I know words alone won't fix it." Aziraphale whispered, "Can you ever forgive me for causing you so much pain?"

Crowley smiled weakly, "I've often said, my fault for marrying a bastard of an angel."

Aziraphale smiled back, "And mine for picking a demon with a heart." he hummed, "We could go on all night."

Crowley squeezed him gently. Then he froze, eyes wide, "A-Angel?"

"Mm?"

Crowley put his hand down to where his wrist had rested on the bump, "I-Is that?"

Aziraphale nodded, "Mmhm. Awake once more."

Crowley started crying again. Aziraphale thought he might join him.

*

Music seeped into Crowley's consciousness as he woke again, forcing him to roll away from his angel, groping blindly for the alarm clock. When knocking it over failed to quiet the upbeat tones circling him he opened his eyes. The alarm clock didn't even have a radio on. The baby speakers weren't plugged in. Crowley blinked and turned back to Aziraphale. The angel lay snuggled along the bed, a beautific smile radiating love from his entire being after their conversations the previous evening.

Even deep in sleep the demon could tell Aziraphale heard the music too; his shoulders wiggled occasionally in time.

He sat up, rationalising it must be his phone. 6 pockets of abandoned clothes later he found it was not his phone at all (And Aziraphale's didn't really have the capability? And was probably down the side of the sofa, knowing the angel)

Mind now leaping to house invasion, Crowley grabbed the nearest blunt instrument (the alarm clock) and slunk downstairs. If it were a burglary then the perpetrators were arrogant, bordering on insolent to turn on the radio! He crept downstairs, wondering whether to hit them with the alarm clock or just snake it up and terrify them. He supposed the answer to that would change based on if they were a lone invader.

But he found nothing downstairs, and once his panicked search was concluded, he realised the music was... quieter?

Clearly the source was on the first floor after all. One of the children's devices, left in a cupboard or a drawer when they left last maybe?

He climbed the stairs, but found himself turning towards his room again, the sound prickling at that ear, that side of all his senses. He moved that way.

He paused at the door of his room, glancing quickly at his husband to make sure he was alright. The angel had rolled onto his back now, and was cuddling the bump. He was still asleep, but seemingly swaying with the gentle samba that was now tickling Crowley's brain.

The demon frowned, took a step to one side of the door, and then back. There was little doubt about it. Aziraphale was the source of the music.

"Well shit, that's one weird dream you have going on there, Angel."

He returned to the bed, rolling onto his front so he could lie beside his husband, an arm across his chest, "Never seen you use the Celestial soundtrack option before. Usually that's Gabriel's choice to fanfare him in."

The song abruptly ended, Aziraphale blinking awake muzzily, "Mm? S'the matter Crowley?"

"What were you dreaming?"

"Oh." the Angel stretched, "I don't quite remember. Why? Did I worry you?"

"No." Crowley lied (After all, Aziraphale himself hadn't worried him), "You looked really happy."

"And you woke me?" Aziraphale raised an eyebrow.

"Not intentionally."

The angel blinked at him, furrowing his brow to search for an answer to the previous question.

"I think." He murmured, "I think we were holding the baby. And just. Happiness. After all that happened to us, we had a baby and we were all... very happy about it."

"Singing him a lullaby maybe?" Crowley asked.

"Oh it's a him already? Do you know something I don't?" Aziraphale blinked.

Crowley snorted, "No. Just a slip of the tongue. And anyway, that's avoiding the question."

"I... don't recall." Aziraphale murmured, "Should we go and get breakfast Crowley, or are we going back to sleep for real this time?"

The demon glanced to the Alarm clock he'd ditched back on the bedside table. 2am.

"Too early to cook. Back to sleep it is. Just try not to be a jukebox this time."

"A--What?"

"Don't worry about it. Tell you in the morning." Crowley snuggled down against his husband's belly, "And as for you, you can cool it too."


	9. Chapter 9

Aziraphale groaned as dawn broke over the cottage. Half past 5. The child was asleep after its bout of night fever, but remarkably so was Crowley, after their broken night's sleep. The angel smiled at the demons slack features, almost bending to kiss him before he realised it was better not to wake him again. He lay his head back, rolling to watch his husband as much as he could, paying special mind to the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he was lulled back towards sleep.

Unfortunately, before long, there was the distant (From wherever Crowley had flung his phone at 2am) sound of Belinda Carlisle...

"Ooh baby, do you know what that's worth? Oo, heaven is a place on Earth..."

"Crowley." Aziraphale grunted sharply, poking the demon in the ribs.

"Mm?"

"We've talked about this type of song."

"You talked." The demon forced an eye open, and rolled it to look up at him, "I never agreed to anything."

"You serpent." Aziraphale snorted, and pushed him towards the phone. Unfortunately for Crowley, that meant out of bed. Unfortunately for Aziraphale, he took the covers with him.

"Hah." Crowley chuckled, trying to untangle himself, "Didn't think that one through, did you?!"

"Turn it off you snake." Aziraphale replied with a chuckle.

"A demon could get tired with Snake being used as a bad thing, you old bastard."

"A demon could get himself back into bed and say hello to his baby again."

The music abruptly stopped, and Crowley's eyes showed over the edge of the bed comically, his red hair mussed in all directions. Aziraphale smiled warmly, "You look like a little boy who's had a hard night."

"I bloody feel like an ancient Demon who's had a hard night." He grumbled, "I'd have got a better night's sleep on the ceiling."

"Really now dear." Aziraphale snorted, "This bed was your choice."

Crowley snorted, and clambered back into bed, pulling the twisted and tangled duvet with him, "S'all got messed up."

"What a shame." the angel replied, holding his husband close. The demon's hands found his middle quickly, and he uttered a low hiss, "Little bugger's calmed down now."

"Likes the music." Aziraphale murmured. Crowley rolled over thoughtfully, coming back with the little speakers, "Right, let's give them a good morning call then."

"Oh Crowley-" Aziraphale started, but relented. Crowley was so happy to think he could finally feel the baby move. Maybe he could cajole breakfast in bed out of him for this. 

The music had barely been going thirty seconds when Crowley beamed, "There we go..."

Aziraphale gazed at the ceiling, stroked his husband's hair, and smiled.

"Angel?"

"Mm?"

"Listen, Angel, listen." Crowley seemed suddenly far more energetic than he had been. Aziraphale glanced down at him. The demon was grinning, "I've figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"Well, when you let me in, let me see you, remember? I saw the big you, all-" he waved his hands about around his head.

"Teeth and curls?" Guessed the angel.

"No no, the eyes and limbs and-"

"Oh. Me. Yes?"

"Well think about it. When you saw our ball of light offspring where was it?"

"Under his - my - wings?"

"Exactly! No wonder everything's muted for you, you're getting in your own bloody way!"

Aziraphale raised an eyebrow. Crowley's face fell a little, expecting resistance. Then the angel replied, "You know, that really makes a lot more sense than I expected."

"I'll tell you something else for free n'all..."

"And what would that be, Crowley?"

"We can already hear their music, and we're hearing it through how many layers of wings?"

"Music?"

"Ah, I have to tell you about 2am." The demon remembered.

"Yes. Please do."

*

"How is she?" Newt asked as he came down to breakfast.

Anathema glanced up at him from her toast, "Quiet."

"Sorry." He replied.

"Not you." She snorted, "Jen. She's very quiet. She's in the living room. Marie has already finished her breakfast but I think she's playing with hers."

"Oh." Newt was a little crestfallen, "I know it's not the done thing, but did Agnes have anything to say?"

"No." Anathema replied softly, "She could only advise that we stay strong for her."

"Oh."

"Yeah." the witch nodded, "I don't know what to tell her. She won't talk about it. I'm wondering if she fully broke the barrier Aziraphale put there, or if she just genuinely can't deal with what happened. We might need to visit them."

At that moment a soft footfall came from the hallway. Jennet crossed the room, put her half full cereal bowl in the sink, and made to leave.

"Morning Princess." Newt said. Without looking at him, the girl changed her trajectory to give him a hug, before returning once more to the front room.

"We need to visit." Newt nodded.

*

The garden was warm that afternoon. Crowley had finished gardening, and had got out the sun lounger (But obviously set it up in the shade for his angel). Aziraphale was cuddled between Crowley's long legs (where they stuck out of the chair through the gaps under the armrests), head on his husband's chest as the demon stroked his bare midriff. Aziraphale hummed to himself, and eventually forgot himself and began to sing, just sounds rather than words, but it made Crowley frown.

"That's not your sort of thing at all, Angel."

"I know, it has become an... earworm. Since Lex sent it over this morning."

"It's video game music."

"It's music, Crowley. Flowing, calming music."

"Not only that, but you were singing in the shower like you were still in the heavenly choir." Crowley nuzzled at him, an idea finally coming together in his head, "And as for last night... Is it possible Angel, that if our children are muses, maybe we finally got us a musician?"

Aziraphale beamed, "Oh Crowley! That would be incredible!"

"I want dibs on first name." Crowley chuckled.

"You want to call our baby Freddie, don't you?" Aziraphale murmured softly.

"Or Mercury."

"Crowley you can't call a baby that... That's a - a - erm - a sort of a show name." He blushed.

"Perfect for a musician, moving to music."

"Crowley you cannot be suggesting it would be good for our child to work in..."

Crowley flicked his tongue at the back of Aziraphale's neck, "They will make their own way. As we did. And our other children."

Aziraphale grunted at what was a very definite kick in the ribs. Crowley chuckled, "They like it."

"If they're a musician they'll like you." Aziraphale snarked.

"Fisherman's horizon." Crowley supplied.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The name of the tune, Angel, keep up." Crowley chuckled.

Then his phone rang. The demon groaned, "Angel. Can't reach my pocket."

Aziraphale did it for him, "It's Anathema." He reported, handing the phone over.

"Book girl!" Crowley greeted her, "Yeah we're in. What's up?"

He paused.

"Sounds bad. Yeah, bring her over, we'll have a look. Soon as you need to."

He hung up.

"Problem?" Aziraphale asked.

"Jennet seems to be having a breakdown."

*

"Stop pacing." Crowley told Aziraphale, "Look, they're here now. Sit down. If anything happens to that child because you can't keep still, nobody will be pleased with you." Harsh, he knew. But the Angel had been on his feet since the phone call, and he was getting tired of trying to coax him to calm down.

"I'm not pacing."

"You are! You'll wear a hole in that carpet."

Aziraphale perched on the edge of the sofa. Crowley immediately leaned over to put his arms around his waist and pin him down, "Chill."

"I've been doing that for 11 years." The angel replied, "I don't like it."

There was a knock at the door, and Crowley clicked it open, "In here."

Anathema entered with Jennet. The girl met their eyes, and turned back to her mother, burying her head in her soft knitted coat.

"Hey small one." Crowley started.

"How do you want to do this, Jen?" Anathema asked her, "Will you let somebody have a look?"

The girl gazed up at her, green eyes wide and little hands covering her mouth. The witch indicated for her to join the other celestial beings, "I'll be right here dear. It's alright. You know nobody's going to hurt you."

Jennet nodded, "I know." She turned to walk to the sofa, standing before Aziraphale, "Uncle Zira."

"Good afternoon Jennet. H-how can we help, dear girl?"

The girl took one of his fluttering hands, squeezed it gently, then put it carefully on her cheek.

The angel frowned, "Oh. Oh my dear. I'm so sorry. Let me-"

The girl shook her head, taking a step away. Crowley read his husband's expression and took the hand himself, "What's the matter?"

"That lock I put in is open." The angel replied, "I can't help you if you don't want that put back, dear."

Jennet shook her head again.

"Darling." Anathema started, but the girl shied away from her too.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to." Aziraphale explained, tears in his eyes, "But if you don't want it put back my dear, I'm afraid I don't know how to help you."

"No, but I might." Crowley said suddenly. He turned to Anathema, "Where's the others?"

"Newt dropped us off and has taken Marie to the park. We thought it would be best to have peace and quiet."

"Right. So it's just you I need to ask. Do you mind if I take her back up?"

"Crowley-" Aziraphale started.

"Only she has another best friend who she might talk easier with, given he knows what went on." Crowley supplied.

Anathema turned to the girl, "If she wants to go, I'll allow anything to help her. Providing it's safe up there." She turned back to the celestial beings, "Is it safe?"

"Lucien seemed to have things very in hand last time we were there." Aziraphale assured her.

"Lucien?" Jennet questioned, brightening a little.

"Yeah. Want to come with me and see Lucien, catch up a bit?" Crowley offered.

"There was another boy..." The girl said quietly.

"There was, yeah. You don't have to see him if you don't want to."

Jennet nodded her agreement.

"Behave up there." Anathema told her, "I'll look after Uncle Zira until you both come back. I'm sure he has plenty to tell me."

"Yes my dear, I'll make some tea and-"

"Take it easy." Crowley stopped him as he stood, "Make the tea and then calm down. I'll be back before you know it."

"I will, dear." Aziraphale smiled, "Best of luck."


	10. Chapter 10

Crowley landed by the gin fountain, sniffing at it suspiciously to find out if it honestly was alcoholic. Jennet let go of his arm, "Ohh..." Her eyes were wide.

"Horrifying, isn't it?" Crowley chuckled.

Jennet began to giggle.

"It's so weird..." She managed at length. Crowley smiled at her, "Come on, Luci lives this way."

Lucien was dancing on his front wall. Running up and down the length of the wall after him was the cocker spaniel. In his garden were two large hellhounds, who yawned as they approached.

The boy stopped at the sight of the two. Then he beamed, "Jen!" and leapt over the little dog, charging his friend. Jennet let herself be hugged, cautiously returning it as the spaniel yapped at their ankles.

"Shut up willya?!" Crowley grumbled, but the dog wasn't his to be commanded, and continued until Lucien called, "Sharky, garden."

He let go of the girl at length, "You came to see me!"

"Yes, well." Crowley said, "We thought given how upset she'd been recently, she could use a friendly face. And so could you, from time to time."

"I wanted to visit." Lucien told her, "But Bee and Michael are so busy, and Hastur said he'd take both of us but he's gone and been daft and wants to stay up here rather than risk tripping off his demon instincts down there."

"It's okay." Jennet smiled.

"Oh." Crowley said, "I'll leave you for a few while I make a couple of visits. But I brought these." He handed over a slightly crumpled packet.

"Bourbons!" Lucien squealed, "I've missed Bourbons! The angels and demons who get things for me don't see the point of biscuits." He tore open the packet, stuffed one biscuit in his mouth and offered the packet to Jennet, who politely refused, "You need tea to have biscuits."

"I'll get tea!" Lucien cried, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the other dogs! They came up from hell and they're super good doggos!"

"I'll be back later." Crowley told Jennet. The girl smiled and nodded before following her friend into the garden.

*

Crowley had been perturbed by Hastur's behaviour on his previous visit, and honed in on the Duke's aura more from curiosity than anything else. He appeared to have made himself a little southern English cottage, thatched roof and all, in an orchard surrounded by tall brick walls.

This was no deterrent for anybody in a place where all the citizens had wings, but the walls were part of the atmosphere. Indeed, Hastur's little place appeared from the outside to not be a mix of features at all. This was of course proven wrong when Crowley jumped the wall and landed on a headstone at the end of the garden.

"The fuck?!" He exclaimed, glancing around. Okay, that was weird. This end of the garden, between the trees, were headstones and a mausoleum. Every demon had to have a place to skulk, he supposed. And he did know back in the day Hastur and Ligur liked to really mess with folk who dared clamber into graveyards at night. They had a field day in the Victorian era with the grave robbers.

Closer the house were apple trees, only a couple in fruit but all doing well, growing from the celestial earth itself. He reached to touch it, feeling a thrum through it of warm energy.

He paused.

There was a crunch, and he nearly jumped out of his snakeskin boots. Hastur had picked a fruit from the next tree, and was crunching on it, core, stem and all, as he leaned on the tree, "What do you want?"

Crowley raised an eyebrow, "Huh, you washing your face these days?"

"Lot of things changed." The demon growled.

"I gathered." Crowley waved his arm around, "I thought you'd gone soft till I saw the graveyard."

"You're the soft one, flash bastard."

"Is that what it does to us, crawling out of hell?"

"Questions." Hastur pushed the snake demon to the tree, "You always were too nosy for your own fucking good."

Crowley snorted, "Push off." He pressed a hand to the Duke's stomach and pushed him away with little effort, "Oh, I see somebody should have been more careful."

"Rich coming from you." Came another voice. Crowley turned his head, tilting it upwards to see Samehra climbing in the tree, "I heard you got drunk and made babies with your angel."

"Yeah." Crowley snorted, "But I've had plenty of practise. Folk know what to expect from me now." He eyed Hastur closer, "Is that a really good wig or is your hair growing back?"

Hastur's frog croaked irritably. Crowley waved a hand at it, "Oh, I know, I had such trouble getting used to this." He ran his hands through his own mane, "Still, it'll keep you warm if you ever go to the Arctic."

"Why would we ever-" Hastur grumbled.

"Dad, want me to read him the Satanic bible?"

Crowley laughed, "Chip off the old block, eh? Did you tell him who wrote that?"

"He knows." Hastur growled, sliding to sit at the bottom of the tree. His tramp-like clothes were now more like the dark robes Crowley had once worn in Eden, and they camouflaged a lot of sin, "Don't think I'll ever forgive you."

"Of course not. Forgiving is a human thing, after all." Crowley replied, "How have you been Sam? Enjoying it here?"

"S'cool." The boy replied.

"See your other dad much?"

"I live at his every other day." The boy grinned.

"Oh its that sort of relationship your dads have." Crowley chuckled.

"Fuck off, Crowley, or I'll get my smokes out. Oh defender of brats."

"Pfft." Crowley waved his hand dismissively, "I just wanted to see how things were. See you around Dickhead." He raised a fist for Sam to bump, "See you later Sammy."

"See you Mr. Flash bastard!" Sam called after him. Crowley snorted. He almost wanted to see how Sandalphon coped with his child being quite so spirited.

But not enough to hunt him out.

*

"I see. So even we're not immune to her messing with our lives." Lucien said around another biscuit.

"Mm." Jennet replied. Lucien felt so different to her already, so grown up, so ethereal. It made her feel shy of the power of this being. She rubbed the ears of George, as Lucien had dubbed the one hellhound, as Sharktooth ran rings around the other, Jelly.

So mature. Yet his voice was still breaking and he was still dressed in grubby cut off jeans, and covered in celestial muck.

"What did it feel like?" Lucien asked.

"I-I don't really remember." She murmured, "I know it hurt. To be pulled from my corporation when I was hanging on for dear life. I felt all my father's love and I tried so hard to live... then I was at the gates, but I was drawn to the workshop instead... I didn't want to leave. I was gifted life, but I had to see what happened to my fathers, what I was responsible for."

"I don't think Uncle Zira would ever blame you."

"No. He's an angel, no matter what his form becomes. That doesn't mean I don't feel responsible though. He hurt. And Uncle Crowley hurt too."

"Maybe you should tell them?" The boy said, considering the packet of biscuits before deciding to save the rest for another day.

"Tell them what? Sorry I messed up your life Daddy, and you too Dad, I'm sorry my body was broken from the start?"

"Now you're being daft." Lucien chuckled, "You could tell them you're sorry they had to hurt. That you love them as much as your human parents. That one day you might want to be theirs again. Thank them for trying to protect you, for loving you all this time..."

He tailed off. Jennet prompted, "But..?"

"...But tell them you want to remember. Because it's who you are, and that's your memory to hold."

"How'd you get so wise, butthead?"

"I'm the bloody Prince, I have to be wise." He laughed, "And before you go, I want you to meet Sammy."

"Oh Luci I cant-"

"You can. I promise. He's trying his hardest to make friends but it's hard when we're the only teenagers here. And his Dad's are weird. They hate each other. But are super into each other. They're always covered in bruises but neither lays a finger on Sam. Somebody said Hastur had gone soft lately. He threw a fit - and threw the snotty little demon in question into the gin fountain. Then he threatened to spawn in it."

"Can he... do that?"

"I really don't want to know." The Prince laughed, "I have enough problems trying to imagine what Hastur will look like in a few months, let alone imagine how he'll respond!"

The girl stayed silent. Lucien tilted his head, "Jennet. Even the hell hounds don't see you as a threat, heavenly sword or not. You're not dangerous, you know when you have to use your strength to defend others."

"That's what she said to me." The girl replied, "That it was up to me to decide if I did right."

"Well I thought you did fine." Lucien replied, "We're just kids, can't really be held to adult standards, right? And we all used to play with toy weapons, even fought with sticks at one point I remember. It was just play, you couldn't have foreseen the war."

"I suppose." Jennet replied, hugging her knees, "I always thought I was more responsible, maybe even than you. Whether that's because I'm an angel or because I'm a stuck up so and so. And in the end we started the war, I hurt Sam, and you healed him and stopped the war. You're so much more adult than I am..."

Lucien snorted, "Piddle-Bum to that."

Jennet giggled.

"Come on. Sam's in the Orchard with his Dad."

*

The bars weren't popular enough yet to be rammed, and Crowley was pleased. Now it was just a matter of what sort of drinks might be being served. He waved down the demon rather than the angel working there, assuming a better knowledge of earthly drinks, "What's popular up here?"

"Minding your business. Gossip is a heaven thing. Holier than thou and all." The demon growled.

"Drink wise you fool."

"Oh." The demon scratched behind their ear, "What're you after?"

"Something that won't get me drunk but will take the edge off." Crowley grumbled.

"Oh, one of those days." The demon turned to the bottles at the back, returning with a lilac one which poured a green tinted liquid, "That one seems a bit like Gin."

"Everything up here is Gin." Crowley grumbled, "Nobody ever heard of Whiskey?"

"Drink your Gin and see if you fancy Whiskey afterwards." The bartender said, leaning over the bar to look him in the eye, "Not many distrust my taste."

"Alright Bacchus." Crowley replied sarcastically, "But this better be amazing."

The drink was, of course, miracled with the building and everything else here. Usually a miracled drink would be bland, the only flavour that of the direction of the miracle. This was different. Crowley smelt it to start. It had a hint of summer, berries and sunshine, but also hint of smoke and salt.

He brought it to his lips. Swilled a drop around his mouth, testing. Then took a proper drink.

"I'll hand it to you." He nodded, "That's pretty good. How'd you get it to taste of heaven and hell?"

"That bastard over there." The demon nodded to their angel compatriot, "Everything had to be a team effort, so the boss said. Turns out that one had a hand in granting flavours to things."

The angel smiled without looking up from the glass they polished.

"They're still a bastard, mind you." The demon bartender said.

"Takes one to know one, Dear." came the reply.

A couple of drinks later and pleasantly chilled, Crowley made to leave until he saw a familiar figure in one of the booths. Now this one would be interesting. He strode over with fresh swagger, "Dagon! Delightful to see you, how's life?"

"Crowley." They greeted him with a clipped nod. Dagon too had changed; their hair loose and falling in long ringlets, their scales still blue-silver, but gleaming with light, and their outfit clean and sporting new silver piping on the cuffs and collar.

Dagon was one of those that Crowley hadn't expected to see happily agreeing to this; a fully old-school, militant demon, but right now they looked comfortable enough, seated with Metatron and with Raziel, an angel who's form was petite and dark skinned, her tight curly hair pinned up with gold grips and her soft brown eyes shining with interest at the newcomer.

"Lord of the files getting chummy with Angels of knowledge are you?"

"Do be quiet, traitor..." Dagon tailed off, "...Crowley."

Crowley was genuinely surprised, "Am I not a traitor anymore?"

"No." Raziel smiled, "You are somebody held in high regard. You have knowledge of many things as yet unstudied for us."

Crowley was briefly lost for words, "Ngk, well... I did try and tell them down below, but all they did was try to kill me. Us."

"The ruling was unfortunate." Dagon replied, their voice a little softer than before, "Whatever you did to survive, Crowley - that was extremely fortunate."

"Thanks. Me and Angel, the dream team." He chuckled, "So are you making friends?"

"We are putting together a library." Metatron said between sips at his drink, "Dagon has been of great assistance with their flair for order and data."

"Been thinking of writing up the history of our people, too." Raziel added, laying her hand deliberately on top of Dagon's. Dagon blushed and looked at the table. Crowley grinned.

"It is extremely interesting." They nodded, hoping to distract from their face, "Metatron was going to help with the wording."

"Good to see you all getting along. Best of luck." Crowley nodded, before bidding them goodbye and leaving. Had enough time passed yet? Should he leave it a bit longer?

At this point he heard laughter. Children's laughter. He made his way beyond a few bizarre buildings, noted the new library, with space above and below for storage of texts that might be a little more sensitive to holy or demonic presence, and eventually stumbled upon the playground in the meadow.

Jennet was using her strength to push both Lucien and Samehra on the swings. Crowley wondered whether they'd had to test how hard she could push them, given a first attempt would probably have sent both boys on a 360 degree turn.

Either way they were all shrieking with laughter, and Crowley was content to sit at the edge of the grass and watch them until the boys had to go in for tea. Jennet was beaming when he held her hand tight and they took off.

"Feeling better, little lady?"

"Yes Dad. I am. Thank you."

Crowley nearly let go of her hand in shock. The girl squeezed his tightly, "Please let me keep remembering."

"I-I'll talk to Angel." He promised.


	11. Chapter 11

Anathema was awestruck with the transformation. Aziraphale was surprised when the girl gave him a tight hug on leaving. Crowley tried to broach the subject once tea was over with, and they were drinking hot chocolate in bed.

"Angel, about today-?"

"You did so well with her dear. I'm so proud of you. My intelligent, loving husband."

"Erf-Ngk-Angel, stop."

"Well. You deserve to hear it."

"Of course." Crowley snorted, "But I wanted to tell you something she said to me on the way back."

"Oh?"

"That she wants to keep her memories."

"Oh but Crowley-"

"She's not a little girl, Angel. She's growing up now. And she needs to process it all and make it make sense. Or this will happen again. And if she can't trust her Daddy to respect her wishes, who will she have to turn to in the future?"

Aziraphale nodded, but his head hung, unwilling to let Crowley see his expression.

"This is how it has to be, Angel."

"I let her down after the battle, I did her wrong."

"No." Crowley shook his head, "She might have been fine, she might have broken it later and dealt with it appropriately. You wanted her to have a childhood without guilt about us - but I think she already felt residual guilt for us, even not knowing why. You wanted her to have a family - But this way she has more family than she knows what to do with. You wanted her to love her human parents. But she does love them. She understands far better than either of us knew. And she knows how to keep up appearances for the Devices."

"The brilliant child."

"Yes. Perfect addition to the muse menagerie." Crowley chuckled, "Hey Angel. Where's that smile? We have a beautiful, intelligent daughter. And we have this little monkey on the way." He patted the bump.

"It's a lot to take in." Aziraphale replied.

"Mm." Crowley chuckled, "Here, let me help." He swung his leg over his husband's hips and undid his Pyjama top.

"Dear?" Aziraphale frowned.

"Just wait." Crowley replied. He pressed his hands gently to the bump, putting out the gentlest feeling, _Hello, we love you._

Aziraphale squeaked, pressing a hand to the upper part of his belly, where he was getting wriggles in return.

"Crowley, what on earth?" the Angel managed.

"Well, they're talking to us through you with music, as we're trying to talk to them." Crowley chuckled, "So I just wondered..."

Aziraphale gasped, falling against his pillow with a whimper, "Oh. Oh the-the love."

"Not quite what I was aiming for, but." Crowley smirked, satisfied, "Thanks, kiddo. Hey, who are you anyway?"

A warm aura was his only response.

"Ah well, I guess that's the best answer you can give until you find out." He chuckled.

"What did you-?" Aziraphale was still hazy, almost drunk from joy.

Crowley smiled, "Just wondered if Freddie could tell us anything about themselves."

The angel gave a chuckle, "They don't know the world yet, never saw themselves. They don't know what to tell us."

"No. Would have been fun to mess with our friends and tell them to expect something they're not though!" Crowley laughed. Aziraphale bit his lip but began to giggle.

Crowley clambered up his husbands body, cuddling close, enjoying the angel's joy, "I mean. I wonder what they look like. Can they smile like the twins could? Will they giggle like Alexas? Do they full body dance when we sing for them?"

"The answer to that is most likely yes." Aziraphale managed, "Given that I did pass out when he er..."

"Dropped the bass." Crowley chuckled, "Sorry about that..."

The angel beamed at him, "It's nice to know they're there. And they're not as painful as Lex."

*

They fell back into a regular pattern now. Crowley had let himself start sleeping again once they were beyond the time Jennet had left them; Aziraphale was calmer, Crowley had been exhausted, there was less risk, it just made sense. But now there was movement and feeling, they added a new regular event to bedtime.

The demon had been on the edge of sleep when he was woken by Aziraphale cooing to himself. The angel was practically purring with joy, half asleep as he wiggled a little, "You excitable little soul..."

"They okay?"

"Mmm." Aziraphale giggled, "Doing somersaults."

Crowley chuckled, "Happy?"

"Mm."

The demon reached for his bedside table, "More?"

Aziraphale glanced at his husbands phone as he plugged it into the baby's 'earphones'.

"Something gentle, please?"

"I gotcha angel, gentle somersaults. Synchro swimming."

Aziraphale giggled, "Oh, we should take them swimming! Not just the beach!"

"You swim?" Crowley managed incredulously.

"Well one of us has to look after them in the pool, anyway." He helped Crowley position the cups, "There you go, Freddie."

*

Ariel was at the bar when Alexas turned up, "Hey Ari."

"Lex." They smiled.

"Good chat?" He asked, swigging his cola.

"Mmm." His older sibling smiled, "Look what they got me."

Alexas opened the bag offered to him, "Neat. Not new then?"

"No." Ariel replied, "Couldn't afford that and didn't want to ask Dad. Alisha got me one from a trans community. Somebody had their top surgery and wanted somebody in need to have it."

"Nice." Alexas nodded, "You know how to use it?"

"Mm. Alisha taught me."

"Gunna surprise the Dads at Christmas?"

Ariel chuckled, "I might. I should know how to wear it comfortably by then."

"Let me get you a celebratory coke." The boy grinned, "Glad to see you happy."

"You're a good brother." they smiled, "The show starts soon, right?"

"Mmm."

"And you as the lead. From Judas to Joseph with the dreamcoat." Ariel chuckled, "Did you tell them yet?"

Alexas snorted, "After the reaction I got from Judas? Hell no. It'll be a nice surprise for them." he winked.

*

It was October when Crowley received the picture message from his son.

_"Friday night, you in?"_

He stared at the picture of the ticket.

"Angel!!!!"

"Yes dear?" Aziraphale called. He was in the window seat in the library, his feet up on his reading chair and nose in a book, as per usual.

"You reading Winnie the pooh to Freddie again?" Crowley chuckled.

"It's culture of the 20th century, dear."

"We are in the 21st."

Aziraphale pouted, "Would you rather read them Shakespeare?"

"Nope." Crowley replied, "Angel, our bastard son is at it again."

"He is? What's he done now?"

"Not content with being Judas, now he's Joseph."

"Which one, dear?"

"With the technicolour fucking dreamcoat."

"Oh! Well that seems alright."

"He just sways from infernal to holy on a bloody pendulum!"

Aziraphale chuckled, "Well he has enough excuse to. When is it opening?"

"Friday night."

"Friday!" Aziraphale squeaked, "Oh I can't wait!" He licked his upper lip a moment, "Time to try this I suppose." A little wiggle as he stood gave him a minor bodily adjustment, appearing just a little more female. Crowley blinked, "You could just do that any time?"

"I told you I could." Aziraphale replied, "And you asked me to when the twins were nearly here." He wrapped his arms around his middle, "I was nervous of trying it but now seems as good a time as any."

"You're still only 7 months Angel." Crowley reminded him, "You really want to be slapdash with Freddie?"

"I wouldn't have done it if I felt there was a risk." Aziraphale told him, "And Freddie wants to see their brother again. It would be more complicated to explain any other way."

"Bastard." Crowley snorted, "You're as bad as our bloody son."

"Of course." The Angel replied with a smile, "Alexas had to get it from one of us."


	12. Chapter 12

That Friday saw the husbands meeting up with the twins and being lead into a little theatre with connections to the college. Both the twins had chosen trouser suits to wear, and looked lovely. Aziraphale excitedly fawned over his children as they found their places.

"Daddy, please." Alice told him eventually, "It's embarrassing."

As Aziraphale quietened, he heard Crowley grumbling, "Bloody musicals."

"What's wrong with this one, Dad?" Ariel was asking.

"What, apart from claiming that God was behind the 2nd best con of the 3rd century BC?!"

Aziraphale sighed.

"It ignores my blowing up a Volcano completely!" The demon snarked.

"Dear, can we please watch this one thing our son is in, without the historical commentary, pretty please?"

*

"It izz a pity it is not a story about mozez." Beelzebub said as they took their seat.

"I didn't know you enjoyed the biblical ones." Michael said, "You do surprise me Beelzebub."

"That one wazz alwayzz one of my favouritezz." The Prince buzzed.

"You complained about the locusts!" Lucien exclaimed, "You said, 'you know, thizz izz hugely inaccurate. Those locuzztzz were my idea! Why are they blaming upstairzzzz?!'"

"How did they... on stage?" Michael puzzled.

"I think that was the cinema." Lucien replied, "Anyway, this will be good, Alexas puts on a good show I hear."

"They zzhould have azzked." Beelzebub chuckled, "I could have found them real plaguezzzzzzz..."

*

"Newt, do stop fidgeting. I can feel you all the way over here." Anathema complained.

"I'm excited." The man replied, "I've not seen this one before."

"I thought you said enjoyed musical theatre."

"In THEORY. Never ah, actually been able to afford it before."

"Shush! It's starting!" the girls cried.

*

The twins were going to meet Alexas for a drink that evening, but in Crowley's opinion it was too long to wait. Aziraphale was tiring, enough so that as soon as the demon got him back to the Bentley, his facade dropped and he defaulted back to his male form.

"Well. That's never happened before." He managed.

"Your powers are weak, even that simple shift takes it out of you." Crowley murmured, holding his cheek tenderly, "You did really well. But it's time to get home and go to bed."

"Oh, promises, promises." Aziraphale murmured, but his eyelids were getting heavy, and he settled comfortably back into the seat as Crowley pulled the seatbelt around him.

"It really was strange to start with, you know love." He murmured.

"Hm?" Crowley asked as he belted himself up and started the engine.

"Needing to sleep. Like a human. You said it would be but it was still so strange when I first was expecting the twins. Being too tired. Just needing to rest at night."

"You theorised she made us more human." Crowley murmured, "Maybe it was intentional."

"Be more like what we sought to protect." The angel murmured. Crowley glanced over as he came to the ticket barrier in the car park. Aziraphale was already asleep.

The Bentley was suddenly full of soft, sweet music. This time entirely from the car itself.

"Huh. Tchaikovsky. Nice pick." The demon chuckled, "Lull them both to sleep."

*

They spent a calm night in bed, huddled close. Crowley thought he heard music again, but now he knew where it came from it was easy enough to be lulled back to sleep by it. He woke earlier than Aziraphale, and brought him breakfast in bed to make up for their early home time. The Angel still had swollen feet, with no magic to keep his body from wearing out in situations like these. So they had a lazy day. Aziraphale didn't even pick up a book until 11 in the morning.

Come the afternoon, Aziraphale was lying across the sofa with said book, his feet in Crowley's lap as they watched the food network.

"I like Thai." Aziraphale announced as the programme finished and the TV turned itself off.

"You like everything." Crowley chuckled, stretching tall and relaxing back into place, "Oh Freddie. Let me hum to you-" He began to hum as he leaned to press his face gently to the bump. Aziraphale snorted, "Dear..."

His hand found his husband's head though, stroking his hair, intent that he not stop.

"What is that?" The angel eventually asked.

Crowley chuckled, "Er. I want to say Catatonia. Cerys could belt it out with the best."

"Oh. Like your Freddie Mercury."

Crowley snorted, "Did you always know his name Angel, or did you learn it just for me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, dear. Humans become historic figures, and historic figures are often written about."

"If you say so." The demon returned to rubbing the angels puffy ankles, and clicked his fingers. The sound system kicked in, making Aziraphale jump until he recognised the tune, "Oh. Yes I do recall this young woman. She's on radio 6 now is she not?"

"And still always surprising people." Crowley chuckled. Aziraphale held his waist, "Oh. Alright, you can leave it on."

"I thought it wasn't your thing?"

"Yes, well. I'm quite happy to let this child keep reminding me they're still there."

Crowley smiled warmly. He looked down at his husbands bare feet thoughtfully, "We should try a girls night in."

"A girls night? Crowley we're over 6000 years old! And hardly really female."

"I mean." Crowley chuckled, "I go and get pastries from the bakery before it closes, we alternate our musical tastes, and spend the night upstairs having baths and pampering each other. Or me pampering you."

Aziraphale dropped his book to frown suspiciously. Crowley chuckled, "Okay... I really want you to soak your feet and I'll paint your nails."

"Whatever for?"

"To relieve the swelling?"

"Dear, nail varnish won't do that-"

"No, but you're worried still, and it's my job as your attentive husband to calm you down."

In one movement he managed to swing his leg over Aziraphale's feet and end up straddling him. The angel continued to gaze at him, nonchalantly, "You're not going to calm me down much hanging out between my legs."

"Well, if we get that far, that's relaxing too." Crowley purred, "Girls night. Not going to take no for an answer." He went to click again and paused, "Best get the pastries before I change gender though."

"Yes dear." chuckled Aziraphale, going back to his book.

*

The weeks wore on. December came in with a cool breeze, but no snow. Aziraphale was a little disappointed, and put extra window stickers up in response.

"Can't even see the garden now." Crowley grumbled.

"Then it's like a real snowstorm." Aziraphale smiled.

"I'm hanging the Star this year." The demon told him.

"But Crowley-"

"No Buts! How you expect to get close to that tree with Freddie in the way for starters?"

Aziraphale looked at him, wide eyed, hurt eyes, pleading.

"No, Angel." Crowley replied, "Look, let me-"

He held out his hand, palm upwards, for the ornament. Aziraphale sighed, and made to place the light, delicate glass star gently there.

There was a rush, a spinning around them, and Crowley passed out.


	13. Chapter 13

"Crowley? Crowley... Crowley I didn't mean to, I don't know how it- Crowley are you alright?"

Crowley opened an eye. He felt cold, "Sssssshit Angel, what happened?"

"D-Don't sit up just yet, give me a minute. I-I think it was the shock, the lack of preparation..."

That feeling. Crowley sat bolt upright, seeing stars and supporting himself with his palms. Sure enough, a soft blue jumper barely concealing a small mound of baby greeted him.

"I didn't mean to, dear." Aziraphale said with Crowley's own voice.

"Solved the problem anyway didn't you." Crowley snorted, taking the hand his husband was offering to help him to the sofa, "Heavens Angel, this is strange, you've never let me play this close to term before."

"Strange..? How so..?"

"You're all full and wriggly." Crowley managed, fascinated.

"Oh..." Aziraphale managed, "Dear, I'm sorry, hadn't we better-?"

"No, Angel." it was Crowley's turn to use the big, puppy dog eyes, "Angel let me see if anything happens. We've done it now, may as well find out. If we have any more, I... I want to know we can do this safely."

Aziraphale relented, "A-Alright dear..."

"So." Crowley chuckled, running his hands over the bump and smiling at the activity, "Are you going to Dec the tree?"

"One minute." The angel replied, withdrawing Crowley's wings and studying them, long and hard.

"They're warm." He managed.

"Forged in Heaven, seared by Hell." Crowley intoned.

"I-It's been so long, Crowley."

The demon reached out and stroked them, gently. Aziraphale burst into tears at the loving tenderness and sheer sensation of having his wings touched.

"Remember this every time I say I want to groom you." The demon whispered, "This is what I want to give you. This intimacy, this warmth. Forever, Angel."

Aziraphale had his husband's jaw held in his slender hands now. He gazed eye to eye with Crowley, before kissing him tenderly. His hands sought the bump between them.

"That is the best feeling." He murmured, "Oh... Oh Crowley. Our child..."

"Ours." Crowley said, "Our healthy, beautiful, nearly grown child."

Aziraphale sat beside him to place a kiss on it, "So much love for one so small."

"Jennet was smaller, but the love was the same."

"I know." Aziraphale whispered. Tears still ran down his face as he spoke and Crowley chuckled, "Those don't look good on me, Angel. Put them away, and decorate your tree. You can have your body back when you're finished."

*

Christmas morning came. The children were on their way over. Aziraphale finished pushing the presents under the tree and sat back.

"Angel, be careful down there." Crowley tutted as he came in with a mug of tea.

"It's fine Crowley, do stop fussing." The angel replied, "There's weeks to go yet."

"Yes. Weeks. Not months. So just..." The angel was up again and adjusting the decorations, looking for the stepladder, "Angel. Please calm down."

"It's Christmas, Crowley." Aziraphale whined.

"Do you want the second coming of Christ?" Crowley said firmly, laying a hand on the folded stepladder at the same time as the angel, "Because rushing around while heavily pregnant on Christmas day is how you get the second coming of Christ."

"Pfft." Aziraphale let go of the ladder, "Not _that_ heavily..."

"Feels heavy enough to me." Crowley replied, wrapping his arms around his husband. At Aziraphale's withering stare, he clicked his fingers and the stereo burst into life. A moment or so later the angel whined, "Alright, alright! Crowley you promised you wouldn't use that against me." He pouted as he shuffled to the sofa uncomfortably.

"And you promised you'd take it easy." Crowley replied, sitting and passing his husband the mug. Aziraphale pulled a face, "I wouldn't mind but I can't even rest my mug on it when they're dancing."

Crowley clicked the radio off again, reaching to soothe the angel's wriggly middle, "In a month - just a few weeks - we get to meet you. And though we can't wait, I'd still rather you spend as much time as you need inside."

"You're right, of course." Aziraphale murmured, taking a swig of his tea and hissing at a foot in his side, "I hope this isn't nesting. It's too early. I don't want them born this early either."

Crowley exhaled, "You going to sit down a while then?"

"Just..." Aziraphale indicated the lights in the window, "Can you move the middle suction cup about an inch to the left?"

"Angel..."

"I... I want it to be perfect."

"..." Crowley stood with a sigh, "Fine." He was able to adjust the lights from the ground, to his husband's exacting specifications.

"Fussy Angel..." He told him as he went back to the kitchen, "The children wouldn't notice if it was off."

"I would." Aziraphale said to his husband's back. He sighed, finished his tea, and stood to return the mug to the kitchen. He rinsed it and put it on the draining board, "Crowley, did you put the stuffing on yet?"

"No, it only needs half an hour."

"I see. In that case, what butter did you use for the bird?"

"Surprise." Crowley said, where he was wrapping chipolata sausages in streaky bacon and pushing them onto cocktail sticks.

"It smells divine." Aziraphale insisted.

"I suppose it does."

The Angel huffed, and moved to the oven, reaching down to open the door a crack. He sniffed intently, smiling a little as he closed it again.

As he straightened he grunted, "Oh."

Crowley stared at him.

"Nothing. I'm sure it's nothing." Aziraphale told him.

"Will you go and sit down!" The Demon cried, shooing him out, "Lucifer preserve us if you go into labour today of all days Aziraphale!"

"But Crowley..."

"Sssofa! Sssssit down!"

*

The demon finished the pigs in blankets as soon as he could and washed his hands. Everything was ready to throw into or onto the heat as soon as needed, and so he gave in to his anxiety and moved back to the living room. Aziraphale was sitting on the sofa, playing with his fingers like a sulking, scolded child.

"Are you alright?" Crowley managed.

"Just bruised pride."

"You'll live, it's not your first time." the demon indicated the bump, "I mean..?"

"Its fine. I told you."

"Promise?"

Aziraphale finally looked at him, "Now who's fussing?"

"Promise, Angel?"

"...Promise. Braxton Hicks. And a twinge in my back. Surprised me, that's all."

Crowley relaxed onto his husband's shoulder, "You're so stressful, you know that? If I had a human heart I would have had a heart attack years ago."

"Well, I apologise." Aziraphale replied, "But you knew that when you married me."

"Yes." Crowley nuzzled his shoulder, "I did."

"Sorry."

"Ssss'alright."

"Besides. It's all Freddies fault. They're so - lively..."

"Just don't get trying to do the Gavotte again."

At this point there was the sound of a key in the door, and a call, "We're here!"

"The children!" Aziraphale beamed. Crowley patted his hand, "You rest a bit longer."

At this the door to the living room opened.

"Did I catch you canoodling?!" Alexas grinned.

"No chance brat, you'd have to get up pretty early to do that." Crowley snorted.

"Pretty good chance, the way you sleep Dad." The boy beamed, before entering with a large white patisserie box which he laid on the coffee table with a flourish, "My contribution to the show."

"Oh Alexas, what is it?" Aziraphale squeaked with joy. The boy removed the lid to reveal a black forest gateaux, "From the bookshop cafe and bakery, with compliments, and only the smallest snifter of cherry liqueur."

"Oh it's wonderful!" The angel cried, "Thank you dear!"

"Daddy!" Ariel had skipped around the side of the coffee table to be able to reach the angel's middle, "And not so little Freddie!"

"Be careful with your father, we nearly re-enacted the story of the first Christmas in the kitchen this morning..." Crowley told them as Alice brought in the bag with their gifts in.

"Oh? Remind me not to have any gravy." Alexas snorted.

"Are you alright Dad?" Alice worried.

"Fine, dears." Aziraphale brushed off the concern, "Your father is fussing because I wanted to adjust the decorations myself."

"Well, Freddie does make that a little hard." Ariel smiled, "They're getting proper big now Daddy!"

"Told you." Crowley snorted. Alexis had pushed behind the sofa they sat on, and leaned between them to put his own hand on the bump, "Hi you! Don't bother coming out today, they won't let you eat the pudding anyway."

"Lex!" Alice cried, "Don't be silly."

The boy grinned, "Just telling them how it is."

"I'll tell you how it is..." Grumbled Crowley.

"And I'll tell you who I got it from." The boy grinned, "Good to be home Dad." He kissed his cheek, "And now I depart, for I have a suitcase to unpack!"

"Can I help with anything, Dad?" Alice asked.

"Timings." Crowley managed, always just a little rattled by Alexas' easy joviality, "Let me show you what's still to do."

"Daddy?" Ariel said to Aziraphale.

"Yes, Ari?"

"It's good to be home." She hugged his shoulders tight. Aziraphale beamed.

"It's good to have you all home, my dear child."


	14. Chapter 14

Anathema and Newt had spent Christmas and New Years in America with the witch's family, visiting relatives who were all very interested to finally meet the girls. Much fuss had been made of the two teenagers that had so fortunately come into Anathema's care, but somehow they had still managed to break away for a week at Disney before they had to return to the UK.

So it was three weeks into the new year before the girls came to receive their Christmas gifts, matching plushie dragons in red for Marie and blue for Jennet, with shimmering wings and glittery eyes. There were books too of course, and a new board game that was well received despite the girls truthfully being a little old for it.

Jennet was very clingy with Aziraphale throughout, following him when he got up to find a book he had kept aside for Anathema, and again when he went to find the biscuit tin. At length he turned to find her following him upstairs to the bathroom, "Jennet dear, I know how to use the facilities, I assure you."

The girl shuffled, and turned away. When the Angel left the bathroom, she was sat at the top of the stairs.

"Are you alright Dear?" He asked.

"Are you?" She echoed.

"Why yes, I think so." He replied, "Here, come and tell me what's wrong." He took her through to the twin's old room, settling himself in the rocking chair for comfort. The girl looked around. The walls were pale cream, the furniture all freshly stripped and repainted as it had come back out of the attic. Everything was in place. Everything was ready.

Aziraphale waited patiently for the girl to complete her 360 survey.

"Do you like it?" he smiled.

"It's lovely." She replied, "D-Er... Uncle Zira?"

"Mm?"

"What colour was my room?"

"We never changed your rooms colour." He replied, "We left it the colours we picked for you when it was built."

"It's always been my room." She remembered.

"Yes." He rocked gently, glad of the chair's rockers.

"Will you... tell me as soon as they arrive?"

Aziraphale swallowed, "I'll message your mother as soon as. We wouldn't leave you out dear."

The girl seemed to seize up a moment. When she turned back to him there were tears in her eyes. Aziraphale instinctively opened his arms, "Jennet dear..."

The girl gladly moved in for a hug.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Aziraphale asked.

"I-I'm..." She sighed, "I wanted to know what I would have had."

"You've seen it, dear." He replied, "You saw it every time you visited, every interaction you witnessed with the others."

"Yes." She replied, "But I... It's not." She shook her head, "The same."

"Oh my dear." Aziraphale sighed.

"Everything alright in here?" Crowley called through the door.

"Yes dear." Aziraphale called, "Jennet is just questioning our baby raising."

"Oh?" Crowley came in, "What sort of Questions?"

"I." Jennet looked a little shamefaced a minute.

"Please, dear?" Aziraphale said, "We'll answer whatever we can."

"Okay." Jennet shuffled her feet, "What...What would you have called me?"

Aziraphale froze, "Ah, well..."

"Please?"

The angel sighed, "I always liked Audrey..."

"Olivia. Audrey Olivia." Crowley supplied.

"Audrey Olivia Fell-Crowley." Jennet murmured. Then her cheeks dimpled in her angelic smile, "I think I'll stick with Jennet, thanks."

Crowley snorted, "Cheeky." He ruffled her hair.

"It's a nice name." The girl explained as they left the nursery, "But what would you have called her for short?"

"Aud?" Aziraphale suggested.

"Ollie." Crowley chuckled.

Jennet waited for Aziraphale at the bottom of the stairs, taking and squeezing his hand, "I don't mind if you have a baby brother or sister."

"Well that's a good mindset." Crowley laughed, "You don't get to tell them what they are."

"No, that's true." She replied, hugging the bump, "I love you too, little Freddie. Don't forget about me."

*

Evening drew in. It had gone dark around 3, and Aziraphale went to wash the mugs up around 7. It was as he gently lifted his winged mug from the soapy water that a familiar warmth touched his shoulder. He froze.

"Aziraphale, former guardian of the Eastern gate..."

He blinked, dropping his mug back in the water and clutching the edge of the sink tightly, "L-Lord?"

A chuckle, "Who else would it have been, my dear?"

The Angel's head dropped in a swirl of emotions.

"Time grows short. There are a few things I have withheld from you. You feel this was wrong, and you have put your faith in me into the cold."

He nearly choked, "You did. I do. I-I have." He managed.

"Dear child. You and Crowley do your best to be different, but you cannot be judged the same as a human, you are meant to be above them..."

"Even if I believed that, I would protect them."

"I know you would. I am pleased to hear it from your lips."

Aziraphale tried very hard not to lean into the kind warmth that surrounded him. His Lord and mother, present in the moments he first opened his eyes, blinking like a newborn deer and staggering from the platform where she formed all her children.

"Aziraphale." Her voice was serious now, "You would not have survived, with what was wrong with her."

He tensed.

"That was my choice-"

"No dear, it wasn't. It was mine. Your responsibility means you must remain alive."

His breath caught, his own words to Gabriel all those years ago used against him. He rounded up his courage, "...You could have told me, Lord. I tried my best, but you found my limit..."

"You ought to have realised I would not take your wonderful children without reason. I told you they had a purpose. As you do..."

He huffed, "Besides being an experiment? Was Jennet a control for the experiment our lives are to you, Lord?"

The warmth was present at his neck, touching the ice noose at his throat gently. His breath caught at a spasm in a warming muscle.

"You are a special interest, Aziraphale. Not an experiment."

The angel paused, a weight lifting gently from his shoulders.

"You didn't take her deliberately then."

"No. Though I foresaw, and it worked better for you all this way. If you didn't lose her then, you may have lost her to Lucien's fate. Or to the sword, as you feared."

"It doesn't-" He managed, "-Doesn't make a difference-"

The Lord snorted in his ear, her voice a sharp ringing in his head, "So getting to see her grow up and help raise her wasn't enough for you?"

Aziraphale bit his lip at the scolding, "If-If I had known... You play with us as though we were a game sometimes, Lord." He was shaking.

"You would not have let her fight, dear. And she had a role to play, as you did."

More realisation, "You orchestrated my - my - distraction from the fighting."

"You orchestrated your own transformation. I foresaw you would put it to good use."

He swallowed, "I cannot begin to fathom why you put us through all this. There must have been other ways-"

"You are a special little maker of muses, my angel, but you are still my child, and still overstepping your boundaries."

"Please add to your notes, my Lord." He replied, "That grief will do that. Even to an Angel." He squeezed the edge of the sink until a warmth like hands rested on his, preventing him from crushing the metal.

"Only to the right Angel for the job. The angel with the kind heart. The angel who put so much of his soul into doing my work. The Angel who cares for what is right, to the point he will argue with his maker and risk discorporation."

A gentle, loving touch to his face.

Aziraphale felt a tear trace his cheek. He started, "You-you're-"

"Do you remember waking up?"

He blinked.

"You thought it was your tear, didn't you? But it wasn't. It was mine. And now, if you feel that way toward me." The tear was wiped away, "I will set you free of it. You've done enough for this world."

Fear gripped his heart, "I want to keep fighting for it." He snapped, "I am who I am. I am who you made me. Unrecognisable though I am, I am still of use here."

There was a chuckle, "I thought you might say that." A gentle kiss to his forehead calmed his raging soul despite his anger. He let it carry him, this once.

"Then who would you have me hide from future skirmishes?"

"This... isn't the end? Heaven and Hell will still--?"

"It will never really be done, dear. You all have free will. And there are still the humans..."

The Angel clasped his hands together. Once upon a time it would have heralded a silent prayer, but with a fragment of the Lord's essence draped over your shoulder, a prayer was unnecessary. He made his choice.

"Jennet. I want Jennet to be treated the same as the rest of my children. Exempted from war, from having to fight."

"Its done." There was a pause, "I forgive your insolence, my dear little one. We are all still learning."

Aziraphale's breath hitched, "I-I- thank you, Lord."

She put a hand either side of his face, ethereal rather than visible, kissing his forehead again, "Take a deep breath dear."

"Pardon?"

"Just trust me on this one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh-Er Missus! ITS HAPPENINGGGG!!!!


	15. Chapter 15

"Something's changed." Crowley announced out of the blue.

"Like what?" Newt asked.

"Can't you feel it?" The demon asked incredulously.

"Uhm, no?" the man replied.

"Wait, what time is it?" asked Anathema.

"Half 7, Mama?" Marie supplied. Anathema drew out a card from her pocket and read, "Past the hour of the neeps shall travail the flood of the defrosting angel. Wearest thy finest bladders"

"What?!" Crowley frowned.

"Uhm, bladders?" Newt managed.

"Family lore says she means rubber gloves." Marie told them.

Jennet stiffened. From the kitchen, Aziraphale wailed. Crowley flew out of his chair and was gone before the others could react.

"Stay with your father, girls." Anathema managed, before following him out. The Angel was standing by the sink, hands gripping Crowley's shoulders and head buried in his chest. Crowley was holding him tight and trying to encourage him away from the puddle on the floor, "Damnit Angel, I told you to take it easy..."

"I -I was only washing a mug!" Aziraphale cried. Crowley lost his patience then, "Shift, will you? Last thing I want is you slipping!"

"I-It's not supposed to-" Aziraphale managed, "Why have they-"

"Waters can break before you're aware of labour, Aziraphale." Anathema soothed, taking over from the demon as Crowley made for the mop, "It's alright. You'll be okay. It's just starting, that's all." She smiled brightly as she hugged her friend, "Soon they'll be here, a shiny new baby for the clan."

It took a few minutes, but the distressed angel eventually was coaxed out of the kitchen. He put his head around the living room door, bracing himself against the frame and looking shocked and a little ruffled, "My apologies, but you may need to leave shortly."

"What happened?!" asked Newt.

"Papa, he means the baby's on the way!" Jennet squealed as she ran to Aziraphale, stopping mid way to grab Marie's hand and heft her from the floor to join her in a hug of the stunned Angel.

"Come now girls." Anathema warned, "Give him some air, he's had quite a shock." She rubbed one of his hands in hers, "It's okay. It happens."

Jennet was still clinging to Aziraphale's middle, murmuring to it gently. Aziraphale seemed wholly unaware and still shaken. Crowley appeared behind them, "I'll clean up better later. Are you alright Angel?"

"Maybe take him to bed, Crowley." Anathema said, "I think he's got a bit of shock set in."

Crowley agreed as the witch moved to get their coats. It was only a few minutes before they were waving the visitors off. Jennet grabbed the demon's hand as they left, "Please tell us when they get here!"

He nodded fondly, "I'll send your Mum a picture."

He returned to his husband, who was still standing in the hall, eyes teary, "Am I doing it right, Crowley?"

"Anathema said it can happen. I'm sure I read it can happen. Best thing to do is get you some rest, Angel." He patted the bump. Aziraphale's hand found his and he squeezed hard.

"I'm scared." He managed.

"Don't be. Our little musician has been kicking you all day, I'm sure they're fine. Let's get to bed."

"Crowley-"

"Bed, Angel."

*

Warming hot chocolate, a pep talk and soothing music for both parties later, Aziraphale finally was coaxed into dozing. Crowley lay beside him, watching his breathing, the way his eyes darted under their lids, the way just occasionally his hands flexed and extended or his brow furrowed. Some part of him was aware of what was happening, but the rest was trying. Trying for them. Trying for Freddie.

It was 6am when Aziraphale woke, Crowley finally having nodded off beside him. He lay for a while, watching his husband, when he felt a familiar pain cross his tense stomach.

Distantly he heard music. Looking around in the wake of the contraction he realised the only thing it could be was the Bentley.

"Crowley." He nudged his husband, "Crowley the car-"

Crowley woke with a snarl and ran to the window. Throwing it open he yelled, "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT?!"

The volume increased. Crowley shut the window and clicked the car quiet.

"Crowley what- what-"

"If she thinks she's coaxing your passenger out with 'I want to break free!!'-"

"-She-She might have a good plan." Aziraphale stuttered. Crowley blinked at him, moving to the bed, "Angel..?"

"Crowley, It's. I think it's happening."

"You think?" Crowley frowned, "Aziraphale, you don't think, you know, you've done this before, calm down."

Aziraphale breathed, "Sorry. So sorry. Just."

"I know." Crowley soothed, aware the angel looked like he was going to start hyperventilating, "I know. I know why too. But you're okay. See this?" He patted his husbands middle, "That's a baby who's ready, ok? Just keep breathing for me Angel, nice and slow, that's it. How bad is it?"

"Not bad yet." The angel admitted.

"Okay. I'll make you some breakfast, then you're having a shower and I will preen you. You're going to relax, Angel. You, and they, are ready and know what to do. You just need to remember that."

He paused, trying to stop himself panicking, "Okay?" He took and squeezed his husbands hands. Aziraphale sniffled, but nodded as he breathed, "Okay. But Crowley?"

"No buts-" Crowley was out the door. Aziraphale ruffled his wings distantly, listening to the wind chimes, "How do you plan on preening me?"

*

Crowley watched Aziraphale eat his breakfast, trying not to pick at it despite his anxiety. There was something he had been wondering since last night, and Anathema's prophecy - so when he lead the angel to the shower, he paused, "Would you get your wings out now?"

"You can't exactly preen them, dear."

"I'll just wipe them down, they must still get grubby."

Aziraphale stepped into the bath and unleashed them, hanging his head still in shame.

Crowley tilted his own head, amazed. The Angel's wings had kept the crystalline overcoat of his true monstrous form, but now it was somehow different. There it was. Movement. His wings were dripping. As the demon stood behind his husband, he realised that the wings were definitely ice, not crystal, ice that was cracking and coming away from the angel's poor, tatty wings as though his core was a forest fire burning it loose.

"How long has it been, Angel?" Crowley suddenly realised.

"12 years." Aziraphale admitted.

"12 years without a preen? You mucky angel." He put a hand to the bind between them, crossing his back between the wing roots, "Angel..." His voice was as warm as he was to his husband's cold flesh, "There's no need for this pain."

The ice cracked with a terrific noise. Aziraphale gasped.

"I know." he murmured eventually, still panting.

"We have 5 beautiful, wondrous children, Aziraphale. Whether grown or on the verge of birth, they all need you to be their angel dad."

Aziraphale groaned lowly, holding his middle. Crowley clambered into the bath alongside, turned the water on, and began to massage his shoulders. The ice was symbolic; it wouldn't melt from hot water. But the dripping was getting faster regardless. As Crowley knelt to clean under the bump, where heat rash was irritating, sticky and sore, the piece of ice around his husband's neck cracked away, smashing in the bath below. Aziraphale blushed in shame, but Crowley stood to nuzzle his hair, "'Keep this up, Angel. You're doing so well. I love you."

The piece on his back fractured. Aziraphale cried a little, pain and relief at the flood of feeling, familiar and hot, dripping through his corporeal form, "Crowley-"

"I'm here Angel." He squeezed his hips gently as he washed him, "I'm here."

His hands reached the Angel's chest, and he noted the grey-blue pallor of the skin under where the ice had been. Now it was gone, the cold outline looked even more like the scar of rope burn from a noose. Noticing movement, the demon looked up. His husband was gazing straight at him, his expression thankful.

"How did I ever finally get you?" He murmured. Crowley kissed his nose.

"I think that to myself every day." He murmured.

*

Time ticked on. Aziraphale breathed deeply, the old memories and responses flooding back. Even with his hips adjusted and less than halfway there, it was hard work. Crowley sat with him, supporting his back, stroking his middle.

The demon began to sing at around 1pm, well, less of a song and more of a long, tuneful call. Aziraphale raised an eyebrow.

"Well. Kids gunna be called Freddie, right? Thought maybe they'd respond to one of the man's call - replies."

Aziraphale was going to reply, but gasped at another pain. Crowley gripped his hand, "Tell me it's not working?"

They kept this up all afternoon. At one point Crowley sat between the angel's legs and gently massaged at his knees and hips as they waited. At length he found himself mumbling lyrics, which at Aziraphale's amusement became a song.

The Angel chuckled, "You said you'd sing queen when I had the baby... shame Jennet didn't get the experience."

Crowley stopped abruptly, but Aziraphale reached to hold his hand, "Please, love. Please don't stop."

Distantly there was the sound of another chunk of Ice shattering on a floor. Aziraphale flinched.

The Bentley fired into life once again. Crowley flew across the floor and threw the window open again, "Would you just-"

"Crowley!" Aziraphale squeaked. The demon spun, but the angel had an amazed look on his face, a hand clutched to his side, "What - what is that-"

"Another one bites the dust?"

"They- They're kicking - in time -" The Angel panted, "Ohhhh..."

"Fine." Crowley growled, "I'll let you, this once." He left the window open and returned to the Angel's side.


	16. Chapter 16

Afternoon became evening, darkness falling. The Bentley finally quietened at a quarter to 5. Crowley frowned, "Hope her battery's not flat now."

"No dear-" Aziraphale managed, "I think maybe she remembers that-"

Somewhere in the direction of Tadfield, an almighty noise of instruments tuning became audible.

"-Warlock has been granted use of the green for a music concert, remember dear? 6 until late-OH!"

"Breathe, Angel." Crowley reminded him.

"Dear?" The Angel managed a few moments later, "Would you - Could you go down and check please? I rather feel that they are quite intent on being here for the show."

*

There are many (Well, at least 2) different tellings of the arrival upon the mortal realm of Frederick Orsino Fell-Crowley, known as Freddie. His father tells of a wild night, wreathed in mists, stars behind his eyes, and the northern lights flickering through the sky. His dad tells of dancing with joy from the moment he touched the child for the first time. The neighbours in the tiny neighbouring village of Tadfield tell of the monstrous mistake of allowing Warlock to organise a music festival at that time of year, of mud and tents and a band who's sound was so unfortunately bizarre they appeared to start a minor earthquake and then a sleet storm.

No matter who is to be believed, what is known is that the angel Aziraphale attempted to sit up near immediately as the child arrived, "Crowley?!"

His demonic husband had tears rolling down his face. Aziraphale's anxiety peaked, "Crowley! Are they okay?"

"They- They're perfect, Angel." Crowley managed. Freddie let out a little squeal, not a scream in sight. Crowley moved to hand the baby over, aware of how important it would be to get him into Aziraphale's arms as soon as possible. He wasn't disappointed. Aziraphale's smile could melt icebergs as he cooed, "Little boy! Freddie! I..." He paused, "Crowley his eyes!"

Crowley blushed, and moved to hold them both close. They were both crying. Far more tears than a baby would have, and the child just beamed up at them, flashing golden eyes as bright as his dimpled smile was. They huddled him beneath the blankets and held him close.

At length Aziraphale had to hand the boy back to deal with the rest, and Crowley squeezed his hand while cradling Freddie. He murmured support and kissed his husband's sweat beaded forehead even as he rolled his eyes skyward and thought hard, _Are you done with us now?_

Somewhere in the back of his head came a chuckle, _I'll never be done loving you, my rebellious children._

When Aziraphale had finished, Crowley passed Freddie back and moved to clear up. Then he stopped.

"Aziraphale."

"Hm?"

"I don't think a baby's support system is to be quite so... flash."

Aziraphale opened his knees again to glance down, "Oh."

"I'm getting rid of that thing before Freddie converts it to a glitterbomb." The demon finished.

Aziraphale gazed at the boy. He just kept smiling. That was a smile he'd seen before, and not just because it was his own.

"Crowley." He said as the demon returned after getting rid of the remains.

"Mm?"

"He reminds me of Lex. I mean. He looks like you but his smile..."

Crowley glanced, "Oh strike a light. You're right."

"Mischief the second." Aziraphale murmured warmly. Somewhere in the depths of his being was an almighty crash, a tearing sensation, and he shrieked at the pain and resulting flood of emotional data. Crowley scrabbled to grab Freddie from him before panicking, "Angel, Angel?!"

Aziraphale had slipped down in bed, fists clenched, now lying flat on his back as he opened his eyes to his husband. He relaxed slowly, and smiled uncertainly, "Sorry. Don't know - Don't know what..."

He screwed up his eyes briefly.

"No, I - I know what that was..."

"Angel?"

"Please. Just... need a few minutes. Can you get me a towel for Freddie please? And... maybe close the window?"

*

Freddie was clean, fed and asleep in his parents bed before long, neither of them wanting to be away from him for an instant. Their linked hands rested on his torso, the gentle rise and fall of his chest sending Aziraphale into floods of tears every now and again.

"If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it..." He whispered as he kissed the boy's cheek gently.

"I think you've had enough music for a lifetime, Angel." Crowley snorted, but didn't unlink his fingers from his husbands, all his senses focussed on the precious little boy.

It was after 11pm before Crowley shifted, his hands long beyond cramp and into numb territory, "Come on now, Angel. You need a treat." He admonished as he tucked the boy up in the baby basket, "So roll over onto your front. You can keep an eye on him from there." He put the basket between their pillows, where Aziraphale could gaze happily in as he lay there.

"Wings."

"Pardon?"

"Your wings please, Aziraphale."

The Angel dropped his head in shame.

"Hey, if you don't show me I can't fix them up. They've been held cold and damaged for so long. Let me help."

Aziraphale nodded and slowly drew them from their pocket universe. Crowley didn't make a sound at them, all the ice gone, sodden through, and threadbare. He simply sat gently on his husbands padded rear, and began to slowly make his way through over a decade of neglect. He preened hard, smoothed with his palms, combed with his fingers. Aziraphale keened appreciatively, tears falling fresh at the mere feeling of being touched again. Crowley did them both before Freddie woke up and began to gurgle for more food. The angel made to comply, but not before wrapping a thinly feathered but far more healthy looking pair of wings around all of them.

"My dear." He murmured. Crowley bumped their foreheads together as the Angel cradled Freddie between them, "I'm so very sorry for... all of that." He eyed the pile of broken, bloodied and bent feathers.

"You needed to figure it all out, Angel." He replied, "I knew you would. I'd have stayed with you forever if you needed it."

"I was at the wedding." Aziraphale chuckled, "You promised forever."

They met lips gently, at least until the baby slapped at them with a squeal.

"Somebody's hungry." Crowley laughed, "Why are our sons such bottomless pits?"

"Ahem." Aziraphale remarked as he put his wings away, "I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea."

*

Crowley was still holding Aziraphale gently as the light of day dawned. The angel clung to Freddie still, occasionally letting a tear trace his cheek.

"It's true..." He murmured.

"Hm?"

"It will... always be with me." He replied, "But having Jennet close. And knowing. Has helped. And that it wasn't my failing that killed her. That I would have died for her had she not intervened."

"She-?"

"Aziraphale shook his head, "It doesn't matter." He smiled brightly, "And he. He is. A new start."

"We are not having 8 more-"

"No..." Aziraphale giggled, "4 more, makes 9."

"Well. All in good time, Angel." Crowley reached to stroke the boy's head, "Oh would you look at that." The fine hair on Freddie's head had dried out and showed itself to be a rich, vibrant ginger.

"His father's son." Aziraphale beamed, "Gold eyes and red hair." He choked again, "Crowley he's perfect."

The demon took a sudden breath. Aziraphale looked up, "Love?"

"It's finally over, Angel."

"What?'"

"Whatever she was doing. With you. I hope. Ngk, listen." He paused, gathering his thoughts, "Humans have a phrase. For-for the child born after a loss. A rainbow baby."

Aziraphale mouthed the phrase, dropping his eyes back to Freddie.

"The rainbow after the storm." He murmured.

*

The peace and love of the morning was broken a few hours later by car doors shutting and excited chatter. Aziraphale paused where he was dressing the baby, listening intently.

"Crowley, the children are here!"

Crowley chuckled, "You get yourself dressed, I'll deal with them."

They could hear the rabble in the hall a moment later, the demon laughing as he called, "Hey monsters, how is university treating you all?"

"Dad! Dad we want to meet the baby!" That was Ariel for sure, Aziraphale smiled as he pulled a jumper on.

"Morning Dad, shall I make drinks?" That was Alice.

"Yo dad, you got the dent out of that bloody car then?" Oh that was certainly Alexas.

"UNCLE ANTHONY!" Oh, they'd stopped to pick up Jennet? Or maybe...

"Who told you?!" Crowley was saying.

"I know these things, Crowley. And Aziraphale sent Jennet a picture." Anathema snorted.

So the whole family was here... A final, residual shattering of ice rocked his body. He sat down for a moment on the bed, holding Freddie close to him. The boy held onto the chunky knit of his jumper and cooed.

"Oh..." Aziraphale murmured, a final wave of relief pouring over him. He smiled at the boy, and kissed his cheek, "Let's go and introduce you!"


	17. Chapter 17

Crowley hugged Ariel as they threw their arms open for him at the bottom of the stairs. He gave them a light snakey squeeze that was returned, then frowned, "Ari, are you binding?"

They smiled, "I am."

"You know you could just shape shift?"

"I know." they replied, "But how can I be a muse, dad, without the knowledge of how this feels, how to do it safely, how not to do it safely, how people respond to you when you look the part, vs when you don't?"

Crowley nodded slowly, "I hope you're sstaying safe."

"Yes, Li and Lex look out for me."

"Good. Be careful though. I don't want to hear of anything happening to my little Ari." He paused, "Did you... have a different name?"

"No Dad. I thought if I wanted one, maybe you and Daddy would help me."

"Of course we will." Crowley kissed their forehead, "I'm so honoured to be asked, your father will be too."

"Will be what?" Aziraphale asked. Ariel squealed at the sight of the little red headed bundle, "Freddie!"

"There you go dear, take him through." Aziraphale handed the boy over, a little reluctantly despite knowing how careful Ariel would be with their brother.

"Daddy he's beautiful!" They cried, cuddling the boy and stroking his soft hair, "Oh Freddie! You made it safe and sound! We all love you so much..." They paused before taking the baby through to the living room, "I see so many beautiful words and sounds and movements in you..."

"Follow them in. I'll tell you later." Crowley explained.

Aziraphale was greeted and made comfortable on the sofa in the living room, Ariel sitting beside him on the arm of the chair and Alexas, Jennet and Marie squashing onto the other 2 seats and Newt in the single chair. Anathema perched on the arm of the single, "How are you, Aziraphale?"

"Better. Much better, thank you." The angel replied. Alice moved from putting their bags down to Ariel, waggling fingers at her little brother, "Hey Freddie!"

The boy beamed at her. The girl laughed, "Oh, thank you! Such a pretty smile!" She stroked his hair before she went to help Crowley with the drinks.

"Stop hogging the baby, Ari!" Alexas complained a few minutes later. Ariel made to complain, but caught her father's eye, eager to hold his son again, and passed Freddie to Aziraphale. A moment or so later, enough to remind himself of the reality, he passed the boy to Alexas.

Alexas was ecstatic to finally have a younger sibling he could acknowledge, "Look at you we're like opposites!"

Freddie smiled at him and Alexas squeaked, "You are just what we needed! Best little brother!"

Jennet finally got her turn. She was itching to hold the baby, and kept looking at Aziraphale as if her subconscious was telling him what she thought of her being relegated back to being considered a human child after her revelations. Marie looked too, but wasn't half as interested by the boy. Jennet cooed at him a bit when Alexas had finished adjusting her hold on him. She beamed, "I'm sure I would have loved you if you were my brother."

Freddie squinted at her, tilting his head. Then he gave her the same brilliant smile he'd given his other siblings.

Marie bored of the baby already, Anathema and Newt had the boy over while Aziraphale had a cup of tea. This finished, Crowley handed over the bottle, and the baby returned to the Angel. Aziraphale looked a great deal happier with this state of affairs.

"You mustn't be too protective of him, Daddy." Alice told him, "You can be for now, but he won't appreciate it when he gets older."

"It's alright, Alice." Crowley said, "It's been a hard few hours. He's allowed to enjoy Freddie for a bit."

"I appreciate the concern though." Aziraphale added, "I'll do my best. But he's so precious."

"He is." The girl agreed, "He's wonderful. Well done Daddy."

Alexas was hanging over the angel's shoulder, pulling faces at his brother, already smitten.

"He's awesome Dad." The boy agreed, "Thank you for my brother!"

"Your accidental brother." Crowley reminded him.

"Will there be more?" The boy asked eagerly. Aziraphale tensed, "Goodness Alexas, will you give me chance to enjoy this one?"

"Aw go on. Say there'll be more?"

"Lex." Crowley warned.

"I'm not saying no." Aziraphale replied diplomatically.

"Angel..." Crowley despaired, "Still bloody spoiling them."

Aziraphale glanced down to the baby's smile, and lifted him to cuddle close, "They're worth it."

*

"Crowley?"

"Yes Device?" The witch had followed him into the kitchen when he went to prepare some snacks.

"I had my suspicions Crowley, but Jennet asked earlier when we were going to see her brother."

The demon waved his hand. Then he paused, "Oh...what?"

"She's always clicked so well with you both, and she adores Aziraphale. Plus... the prophecy said she was child of the fallen. I accepted her knowing she might have been what was left of yours but never knowing how to broach it. So, how long have you known?"

Crowley sat down, feeling himself crumple, "I told him not to tell her to hide it. But the last battle... It was so much for a child to bear. On top of her realising who she was. On top of us realising who she was."

Anthema patted his hand, "I'm not as oblivious as Newt."

"No. But if you hadn't realised..." he shook his head, "Angel didn't want to take her from you. Jennet the child loves her mother and father and sister. Jennet the angel... was a confused mess of finally working out who she was, and she still needs time to grow into that mind and that body. Aziraphale said... she's ours but not really ours. She'd not been ours for 11 formative years of life. It would be unfair of us to expect her to go back and still be her with all this new information in her little head.' He paused, "If I'm honest we were in shock. As much for finding out as for seeing what happens to an angel who loses his faith."

She nodded, 'Thanks for trying for her."

"We all love our daughter." The demon replied. Anathema nodded, "We do. Oh... Not a word to Newt, Crowley. He's very fond of her."

"Or Aziraphale, he knows that she knows, but not you. He only wanted her to be happy and to have her childhood back."

"You have yourself a deal, Demon."

*

The husbands spent about a fortnight sleeping with the boy in his basket between them, but Crowley slowly managed to bring Aziraphale around to the use of the crib. It had to start off in their room though. Crowley thanked his use of miracles; the crib was heavy, made of solid wood and carved beautifully with ducklings at the top of the headboard.

Aziraphale stroked at his chin and pondered over the crib the first night they put Freddie in it though. There was no reason to change it, even after all these years. It had age to it when they'd bought it before finding out they actually needed two cots when he had the twins. But something still felt off about the situation.

Freddie peered back in his vague direction and gurgled, batting at the bars in a strangely directed way.

"You know that's not a harp." Aziraphale told him, distracted. From somewhere nearby Crowley burst into laugher at the cliché.

"We should get him a rattle or something, dear." The angel called. There was a sharp intake of breath, and suddenly Crowley was at his husbands shoulder, "Oh no no. No.. I don't think so. No need. Watch."

Crowley leaned over the crib, grinning at their son as he handed over a plastic spoon.

Aziraphale smiled nervously, convinced that even this young, the boy would put it in his mouth. To his surprise it was instead used to play the crib bars slowly and deliberately like a xylophone.

Crowley grinned at him. Aziraphale stared at his husband wide-eyed, "Oh Lord Crowley, I hope he doesn't wake in the night often, he'll keep us both awake."

"Well if he does, he'll have to go in his own bedroom, won't he?" Crowley chuckled, "No, look Angel, I thought we could get him a radio to leave on overnight. Something digital, lots of music, not much chatter. That'll keep him happy if he does wake."

"Oh." The angel smiled, "That's a good idea."

"Of course it is." Crowley snorted.

Freddie got to the end of whatever he was playing, and dropped the spoon on his nose. He squeaked awkwardly and thwapped it away. Aziraphale scooped him up before he could decide to cry over it. The boy seemed to be fairly easy going, calm like the twins had been, which was a relief after the nightmare that had been infant Alexas, but occasionally he seemed to get frustrated when under stimulated. And unfortunately, being a little baby with not much muscle tone meant there wasn't a lot he could do right now.

Crowley had ordered a new walker, and miracled the whole thing to be more supportive for a smaller child, but the boy couldn't stay strapped into that all day, much as the child enjoyed it. He had taken him outside briefly when the weather was mild, and set up a bird table so they could sit and listen to the birds. The boy was fascinated with the little blurs of colour that made such pretty noises.

He loved the Ducks and chickens too, though he couldn't quite tell them apart by colour yet, only sound. One of the Ducks seemed to be quite enamoured of him though, always strutting up to see if the tiny person was with whoever was feeding them.

"Maybe we should get a goat." Aziraphale had pondered.

"You want to clean up after a goat?"

"No. But they make pleasing sounds and milk..."

"I'm not milking a goat. Those creaturesss are mad." Crowley had hissed, "And humans are always bloody sacrificing them for demon calling. Had my fill of goats. It was good news when they invented the telephone book if you ask me."

So it was that they just kept the eternal chickens and ducks, who seemed none the worse for wear for their seemingly long lifespans of good health.

Aziraphale was amazed how different just having one infant in the house was. After the stress of 2 at once, with Alexas 5 years later, it was almost relaxing to only have one little demanding creature to take care of.

Almost, he told himself as Freddie screwed his face up and began a little rage, probably at his nappy given the time since breakfast.

As Crowley made a move to do their lunch (and a bottle) the angel raised his hand tentatively. He had avoided telling Crowley about his conversation with the Lord, and his softening towards her again, although his wings were probably evidence enough.

He pulled his hand smartly down with a click and a little hope.

The lid of the bin beside the changing table clunked. Tentatively the angel lifted his son to sniff. No scent. He checked the drawer of the table. One of the nappies was indeed missing.

"Thank you for your forgiveness." He murmured, "I won't call upon you often."

Freddie giggled, catching his attention again. When Crowley brought the tray of food and cups and a bottle up, the Angel was sat back on his bed, baby balanced on his legs as he clapped and sang a nursery rhyme.

The demon pushed the tray onto his bedside table, and picked up the bottle. Before he'd got around the bed, Freddie's attention was wholly on him.

"Daddy's little boy." Crowley snorted, "Here's din-dins."

Freddie beamed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Posting early because this is the last chapter and i can't wait.   
> There will be a break in the programming before the next fic (as i havent written most of it yet)

They were both cautious. They had to be. So Freddie was edging towards 3 years old before Crowley said, "Do you think he'd make a good big brother?"

Aziraphale was distracted from where he had been watching Freddie organising his toys by how much noise they made when he hit the coffee table with them, sub-categorised into types of noise, thumps, cracks, thuds etc.

"Dear, are you asking me if I'm ready to have more?!" The angel asked, wide eyed.

"I-ngk-I was just-um-just wondering." The demon stammered.

Aziraphale scooted up the sofa to be closer to his husband, "I was unsure you would want to try again dear, given all the risks."

"I was under the impression you wanted 9." Crowley snorted.

"Oh." The angel reached for the demon's hand, "I thought you were saying you liked the idea of more." He was a little disappointed.

"Honestly Angel, you haven't figured that out by now?" Crowley snorted, "Do you want more or don't you?"

"Well of course." Aziraphale huffed, "Eventually. But I certainly don't want to be expecting when we go on holiday in a few months."

"Of course." Crowley nodded, "So, we should probably plan where we're going. As Harriet and Anathema are having Freddie for a week, what do you want to do?"

Aziraphale looked up, "You once offered me a trip to Alpha Centauri."

Crowley beamed, "Why did we never do that?"

"Too busy with the children." the angel replied, "Maybe that's a hint we should do it now."

Crowley nodded acceptance, "But if we're going, I wanted it to be like a road trip, take our time, flit around, but the distance... we've only got a week."

"I did think..." Aziraphale chuckled, "I would like to, er... see what these wings can do now."

"They're wings. 6 or 2 they're not going to help in the vacuum of space, Angel."

"But the power is in belief, yes?" He closed his book, "And if I say 6 wings are a lot faster than 2... and we have 12 between us..."

"Enough to get between places quicker. I'm with you." He nodded, "You sure you're alright with old 6 winged monster though?"

"Do you see me as a 6 winged monster?"

Crowley met his eye, "No. I don't."

"Then there's no problem, is there?"

"Dada." Freddie handed him a wooden spoon, "Fire spoon d'ffnt?"

Crowley snorted at Aziraphale's worried expression.

*

Their week off was three months later, just after New Years. They stood in the garden after dropping Freddie off. Crowley had packed a picnic for Alpha Centauri, then they had a list of places to go, ending with R. Aquarii and it's beautiful paired stars.

Aziraphale went first, stretching his 6 wings properly for the first time since the war. He gave a satisfied groan as he did. Likewise, Crowley let his scales loose, swaying gently as his form extended and stretched it's back and hips.

A hand was offered, which he took. He squeezed it gently, then frowned.

"Angel..."

"'Hm?"

"Can I have one of your human hands please? It's rather hard to hang onto an ox hoof."

"Sorry dear."

Another hand was offered for him to swap to.

"That's better. Now, hold onto each other..."

"Mmhm."

Crowley clicked his long, lizardlike fingers, "Nobody's looking at the stars right now. Lets go."

*

"Crowley." Aziraphale asked, viewing the perfection of the twin stars Rigil and Toliman, with Proxima Centauri, Betelgeuse and Sirius also highly visible from the little body of matter they sat upon.

"Mm?" Crowley hummed, happily dozing. It was warm; the tiny celestial body was held in the sway of so many fields, close to enough stars to have warmth.

"Did you make planets to go along with these beautiful stars?"

"I wasn't in charge of planets Angel." The demon murmured, "I know there's one, Proxima centauri B humans call it, you'd think they'd find a better name for it. What's up?"

"I just wondered, that's all."

"Yeah?"

"I..." the angel was reaching his aura out, "Do you think the Lord made any life elsewhere?"

Crowley lifted his glasses, frowning, "You mean like a whole other Earth, with other creatures, and other guardians to look after it?"

Aziraphale nodded thoughtfully.

"Would she?"

"She surely isn't sleeping the whole time she's not paying mind to earth." Aziraphale said.

"Suppose not." C chuckled, "Huh. Well I didn't sense anything coming in but there's no guarantee she made any potential other life compatible with us."

"True."

"Y'know angel." Crowley chuckled, "If you felt like it we could make some life of our own here."

"Crowley! That's further than I'm willing to go - we're not gods, even if I don't know what we are!"

"No, silly." Crowley rolled over, an arm across the angel's hips, "You don't want Freddie growing up alone..."

"Oh..." Aziraphale smiled, a little embarrassed, "Oh but Crowley, would it be safe?, out here?"

"If not we'd know not to do it again." The demon chuckled, "We've been through a lot, Angel. Time we enjoyed ourselves and embraced our curiosity, wouldn't you say?"

Aziraphale lay back, turning to face Crowley, pursing his lips in thought. Crowley's hand found his stomach, stroking gently, tenderly.

"Yes." The angel said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Lets do this."

Crowley beamed, letting his hand trace lower. Aziraphale reached to hold his cheek tenderly, "Woo me, dearest."

Crowley snorted, "Woo you?"

"Mmhm."

The demon raised his eyes skyward briefly, then returned them to his husband. He shuffled closer, wrapped an arm around his chest, and began to murmur tunefully.

_'Cos you're a sky,_

_You're my sky full of stars..._

_Just want to lie in your arms,_

_Cos you get lighter the more it gets dark,_

_I want to give you my heart...'_

"Except." Aziraphale chuckled, reaching to hold his husband close with a giggle, "I believe I already have it."

*

Lucien cast his purple eyes over a blueprint.

"So this has been happening for years now?"

"Indeed." Michael replied.

"It's really cool." Lucien smiled, "Did you know about this too, Bee?"

"It wazz agreed by all in charge, in the wake of the mixing." The boy's parent replied, from where they sat on the high stool at the breakfast bar. Lucien's home had taken on the appearance of the penthouse flat he grew up in, and Beelzebub had to admit it was _nice_ , having something familiar to come back to after a days work.

"So, they're out right now." Lucien nodded, "But when they come back, it'll all start to come together properly? And then we won't have to worry for a while?"

"There will be a small period until it's all finished." Michael replied, "About a year. Then we await the trigger. But it's essential to work the kinks out in this next year - it must be ready to go at a moments notice. The Lord and Lucifer saw something in their children that needs protecting."

"It's all so neat!" The boy grinned, "I can't wait to tell them!"


End file.
